


Lup Cons a Goddess into Murdering her Brother (for fun and profit)

by blueshine



Series: Lup and Taako Destroy Each Other's Boyfriends [2]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: "major character death" is just another day at the office for taz fics, ................................upsy, Love Confessions, M/M, lots of shenanigans, lots of swearing because of the twins, raven queen just WRECKS her son, vaguely nsfw scenes and a LOT of nsfw jokes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-10
Updated: 2018-06-14
Packaged: 2019-02-13 01:12:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 29
Words: 145,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12972450
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blueshine/pseuds/blueshine
Summary: The Raven Queen pulls a fun prank on one of her reapers. Taako isn't amused.





	1. The Memo

Lup, Barry, and the Raven Queen had a deal. Once Lup got her body back, she and Barry would pledge themselves to her cause, becoming undead servants and adding two more reapers to the Raven Queen's stock. But Lup had two more requests. Less necessary, but a lot more fun.

Two weeks to live in her body before death, and two weeks of Kravitz' vacation time.

Once she heard Lup's reasoning, the Raven Queen had a more interesting proposition. She wouldn't give explicit details, but promised that it would be much longer than two weeks.

Lup was unsure of the Raven Queen's intentions, but there was no sense in complaining. As long as it had the opportunity to put a little pressure on Taako and his boyfriend, Lup would take it. A little extra time would just make it easier for Lup to work her magic.

* * *

Kravitz walked through a rift in planar space, scratching his head as he held two pieces of paper: a memo of some kind, and a letter addressed to Lup and Barry. He had landed in a public restroom--this gave him a good minute to put his skin back on behind a stall. From experience, Kravitz knew stepping out of a rift in public spaces was troubling. It took away the element of surprise on his more complicated jobs, and it freaked out passerby when he was off duty. He slipped the memo in his suit pocket. It poked out from his pocket square a bit.

Once he stepped out of the rift, Kravitz felt strange. He couldn't put his finger on it, but something felt off. He decided not to think too much on it, and left to go collect his boyfriend. Kravitz liked to use his off time to visit his living man, and the two dropped in on places they found interesting in Faerun. He had picked this destination: the city of Steinbergstein, a dusty town with tall gothic architecture. The rooftops were covered with snow and Kravitz felt a little bad asking Taako to come all the way out here when it was so cold out.

Taako sat on a bench near where he was told to wait, and stood up once he saw Kravitz. He was grinning, and his breath was showing when he spoke. "Y'know, only you could convince me to come out to a place like this."

"You don't like it?"

"It's not that at all. Just saying, this place is very _you_. Kind of spooky, but you know I'm all in that now." Taako winked. He was wearing at least three coats. "Also, it's freezing out here."

Kravitz laughed. "Well, shall we?" He held out an arm for his wizard to hold on to.

"Where are we off to?" Taako asked, taking the arm.

The two started walking. A few others were out on the streets, but it wasn't too busy. A little bit of snow drifted from the sky. "I haven't been to this city in a long time. Well--I have, but only for business. I thought it would be nice to walk the streets a bit with you...but if it's too cold, we could also--"

"You've basically conditioned me to love the cold now, so, um, fuck off with that?" Both of them laughed, but Taako pulled his coat closer. "What's your story with this place?"

"This is where I lived when I...well, when I _lived_." Kravitz tightened his grip on Taako. "Before I took a deal from my Queen."

"Oh, sweet! Show me all your old haunts." Taako looked around. There wasn't even a little bit of doubt that Kravitz would have lived here. Hell, if he wasn't dead, he might still live in a place like this. Ten reapers could walk through the streets followed by hundreds of ravens and it wouldn't even seem out of place.

Kravitz laughed. "If they're even around. I became an emissary centuries ago. If I hadn't been coming by here for bounties every couple hundred years, I don't know if I would have even recognized it."

"So you lived for this aesthetic even before being swept up by ol' R.Q.?"

"What are you talking about?" Kravitz asked as they passed by a lofty, elegant, black and brown building with silver fixtures.

"Nooothing."

Despite the weather, the two were having a great time. They would duck into a tavern when they would come across one, barely ordering anything and letting Taako warm up. The two went into a pool hall and ran a very good hustle against some stuffy businessmen. Kravitz refused to kiss Taako because he was afraid he would get frostbite. They sat next to a streetlamp, and Taako caught a moth that was attracted to the flame. He used a spell to make it look like he ate it, sending Kravitz into a grossed out tirade. As revenge, Kravitz shoved a snowball down into one of Taako's coats when he wasn't looking.

The two had been out for a couple of hours when Taako noticed something sticking out from Kravitz' perfectly put-together suit. "What's that?" he asked as he reached over to grab the paper from Kravitz' suit pocket.

"It's strange, that's what it is." Kravitz didn't even try to keep the paper away from him. It wasn't anything special; just a memo about his vacation time. "I was given six months of  _consecutive_ vacation time. Starting tonight. I don't usually get so much in a single year, and definitely not all at the same time." 

Taako unfolded the piece of paper, reading it to himself.

_You have been awarded **Six (6) Months of Vacation Time** to be used _ **_Exclusively_ ** _in the **Prime Material Plane**_

_This break is in compliance of the **Bounty Hunter's Resource Department** and fills **BHRD Requirement 1498-IBC**_

_Please deliver this memo to a member of the **Prime Material Plane** who will take responsibility for the **Displaced Membership of This Reaper**_

"Hey, no complaints here! Guess that means you're staying with me for a while, huh?" Taako said, shoving the memo into his pocket without thinking. 

"If that would be alright."

"You kidding? I get a handsome roommate for half a year, there's no downside." Taako grinned for a moment, and then remembered something. "Oh, but one thing: Barry and I are, uh, putting Lup back in her body tomorrow. Big party and everything afterwards. You can come, for sure, but she's not getting out of my sight for, ummmm, a full fucking week. Maybe more?"

Kravitz hadn't gotten to know much of Lup yet. The whole lich thing...he felt uneasy around liches. Hopefully he wouldn't have as much trouble around her after she officially became employed by the Queen. "I can understand that. Are you sure I wouldn't make it weird, being there?"

"No, no, nonono, you're not getting out of this. You have to come, it's mandatory. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll love you. Lup's been talking up some... _thing_ she wants to do with you? So it's great that you have time off to be there for whatever that is."

"What 'thing?'" Kravitz looked concerned.

"Fuck if I know." Taako tilted his head side to side, thinking. "Oh, actually...you know, I spent a lot of time with Barry when she first started dating him. Maybe she's itching for a little Krav time?"

"I wouldn't hate that. It would be nice to get to know your sister before I have to start working with her."

"Well, good, because you don't have a choice." 

"I was also given this," Kravitz pulled out the letter addressed to Lup and Barry from the Raven Queen. "So at the very least, it's a good opportunity to get this checked off my list."

Taako grabbed it the second it came into view. "Can I read it?"

"It's not addressed to you. And don't even try--it's enchanted so that nobody but the two of them can open it." He took the letter back, sliding it into his suit pocket.

"Takes out all the fun of it..."

Kravitz laughed, and the two kept walking. After walking ten feet or so, Kravitz put a hand to his chest, a worried look on his face. He stopped walking, looking around at the city around him.

"What's wrong, my man?"

"It's just--does the air here feel weird to you, Taako?"

"No?"

He gripped his chest tighter, his face turning from worried to pained. "I feel like I have to breathe here. Are you sure the air doesn't feel thick?"

Now that he mentioned it...no, the air felt fine to Taako. Maybe a little cold, but that's all. Something was _wrong_ \--he could see Kravitz' breath in the cold air. Kravitz didn't normally need to breathe. Dude was dead. Just like eating or sleeping, he had the ability to breathe, but didn't have to. He had to simulate breaths between words, or else his voice sounded weird (although, if he wanted, he could recite a long piece of prose without stopping. It was uncanny). Sometimes he would do it out of habit, like after lifting something heavy, running a long distance, or after kissing Taako...but, _again,_ he didn't _need_ to.

"I swear, air's fine here. Are you alright?"

Kravitz stood there for a moment, _breathing,_ trying to think. "I don't know." He blinked. And, a few seconds later, he did it again. Again. Another time.

Blinking was another thing that he didn't _have_ to do. It looked like he was doing it involuntarily.

"You doing some kind of bit, Kravitz? This looks like a prank."

"No?" Kravitz pulled his cloak closer to his body, and...was he _shivering?_ Sure, it was cold out. It was snowing. Taako was freezing. It shouldn't bother somebody who is _dead_ and _always cold._ "I don't know what this is. Whatever it is, it just _feels_ wrong, and weird, and--I'm sorry to cut this short, but if it isn't too much trouble..."

"Yeah, sure, no problem. Rift us back home or something so we can sort this out." Taako had a tight grip on Kravitz' arm.

"Yeah, I don't...I don't think I can stay out here much longer." Kravitz stepped away so he could open the portal. His movements were getting progressively more tired, like it was taking an intense amount of work to do anything. "Give me a minute, I'll get us back..."

Kravitz held out a hand, summoning his scythe like he always did, but...it didn't come. Usually he'd be able to conjure his scythe up out of thin air, but--no? He tried a few more times, but nothing. Once Taako realized that there wasn't going to be an easy portal home, he grabbed Kravitz by the arm and started hoofing it to the nearest station.

"We've got to get on a train, _now._ You're sick, there's no portal, and I am _NOT_ missing a single second of Lup in her new flesh-sack."

"Do you have to call it that?"

The two found a small train station. It would take two connection stops to get near enough to Barry's lab, but they would be able to make it right before Lup got her body back.

The ticket attendant filled out a form, trying to figure out the best route to get them to Neverwinter. "Do you need a sleeper car?"

"Nah, we're on a tight schedule and neither of us really need to--"

"Actually, dear, if it's not too much trouble..." Kravitz leaned on the wall next to the ticket counter, head in his hands. "I really feel like I need to lie down."

_Oh, that wasn't good._

* * *

Kravitz stumbled into the sleeper car with Taako. He was looking sicker by the minute. Taako got him onto the bed, helping him take off his cloak and suit jacket. His hands accidentally brushed up against the reaper's neck. All the color drained out of Taako's face-- _no, no, that's not right, what's going on?_

"What?" Kravitz asked in a weak voice.

"Your skin's  _warm_." Taako ran his hand over Kravitz' skin, and, yeah, everywhere he touched was warm.

Kravitz scooted away, shivering. "You're one to talk, your hands feel like they're iced over."

Sure, Taako was out in the cold, but he didn't think his hands were _that_ cold. Was this some kind of fever? "I'm gonna call Barry and tell him what's going on. Be right back, okay?"

Kravitz let out a semi-approving groan. He didn't care, really; he was so _tired._ He listened to the door shut behind him, and Taako's voice drifting away as he left the sleeper car. His arms and legs felt like they were buzzing. The feeling was not pleasant. He tried calling for his Queen, but she wouldn't answer. It was a similar feeling to his imprisonment as the Hunger approached. At least the sleeper car was warm. Kravitz dug his head into the pillow. His eyes were so heavy. Maybe if he just closed them for a second...

"Krav, come on, we have to get on the next train."

His eyes shot open. Did he--did he fall asleep? How long was he out? Taako was ushering him off the bed, and judging by how the light had changed outside the car, Kravitz had been asleep for a good five or six hours.

"I didn't--did I sleep through the whole ride?" Kravitz' speech was slurred, and he was leaning heavily on Taako.

"No, we still have two more trains to get on." Taako frowned, leading Kravitz outside and onto the second train. "But...you were _out_   when I came back to check on you. Are you feeling any better?"

"Yes? Maybe?" His head felt foggy. He had trouble climbing the steps to the train. "I still have to breathe, and  _apparently_ I need to sleep as well?"

"Barry thinks you were hit with some sort of necromancy spell." The two entered the second sleeper car. 

"I haven't done any necromancy busts in months," Kravitz said, sitting down.

"I still want him to check you when we get there, just in case." Taako took the memo out from his pocket again. Maybe there was a way he could talk to the Raven Queen and fix this? He read over the memo a second time, and...the text was different--when did it change?

_Thank you for **Taking Responsibility of Displaced Membership**._

_**Please Do Not Be Alarmed** of any sudden or disturbing changes to **Either Party.**_

_A copy of the **BHRD Requirement 1498-IBC Manual** will be delivered within **three (3) days.**_

Okay, that was a lot more ominous than the first memo. Taako turned to his boyfriend, who had already fallen back asleep. Should he call Barry again? The whole situation made Taako so nervous, because even though something nagging at the back of his skull told him it was temporary, it all seemed _off_. Taako glanced over at Kravitz sleeping and took a deep breath, trying to ease his nerves. But once he did, he noticed something...odd.

Taako didn't breathe again. He didn't  _have_ to.

The reflex of needing to breathe was gone.

And, if he was paying attention, he would have noticed that his heart had stopped beating hours ago.


	2. Gathering the Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz fails to understand his boyfriend's family. The gang figures out what's going on, but not why.

Lup burst out of the gross body-growing machine-- _with a real body again, holy shit--_ and was handed an outfit she had picked out months ago.

"Thanks, babe!" Lup said as she dressed herself. It felt _so good_ to be in a real, physical body again. Alright, it definitely wasn't perfect, but that wouldn't last long because her brother was a master of transmutation magic. Even if he was fashionably late. Once Lup was dressed, she made grabby-hands at Barry. "Okay, it's been twenty fucking seconds and you're not kissing me, this is a nightmare. Come on."

Barry, teary-eyed already, wiped off his face and pulled Lup in close.

"Ex-CUSE me, coming through!" Taako barged through the door to Barry's lab with Kravitz in tow. They had to run from the train station to the lab as fast as they could; Taako insisted he needed all his spell slots for Lup, and refused to take Garyl. Kravitz was _not_ taking well to the physical stress, and leaned himself against a table. Taako made his way over to the body growing tube. "Barold, you said you would wait until I got here!"

Barry shrugged. "Lup said she couldn't wait."

Before Taako could protest, Lup had him in the tightest hug she could squeeze. "I couldn't just see it in the glass and not take it immediately!" Great, now Taako was crying. He held back just as tightly; the twins would suffocate each other at this rate. Lup softened her grip, and Taako did too--but refused to let go. Lup accepted that he'd keep this up for a while. But she stopped, because something felt weird. "Whoa, bro's got some clammy hands today. You sick?"

"I'm dead, homie."

Lup and Barry doubled over laughing. Lup smacked her hand against Taako. She thought that was _hilarious..._ until she noticed Taako wasn't laughing back. Her ears lowered, and she pressed her thumb to Taako's neck to check his pulse.

"Holy _SHIT_ , Barry, he's not joking!"

Barry ran up to the twins, inspecting Taako with two parts worry and one part _intense_ scientific curiosity. Taako got poked and prodded at every angle by the two of them. Barry asked if he could take some of Taako's blood _(for research, come on, I just want to see if it's coagulated!)_ and Lup tried to warm up his hands with her body heat. Kravitz sat himself down, watching the theatrics of it all. Lup was yelling at Kravitz to avert his eyes so that Barry could do _just a little bit_ of necromancy, come on, _it shouldn't_ _be a problem if you're off duty._

Taako slumped over next to Kravitz after being poked too much. Lup dragged him by the collar out of his seat immediately. "Nope, I don't care how dead you are. Everyone's going to be here in two hours and you have to hold up your end of the _'get Lup a new body'_   deal."

"I don't have any mercury on me, Lup." Taako shrugged, patting his sister on the shoulder. "Can't do polymorph without mercury."

"Barry went out and got all the materials the moment you called last night, it's all set up in the bathroom, _let's go!"_ She pouted at Taako, pulling him towards the door. "I'm actually, literally dying over here."

"You can't pull that on me, I'm the one that's dead as fuck," Taako teased, but followed her to the bathroom without further argument.

"Just _come on!_ " The bathroom door slammed with a heavy thud, and without the twins bickering the room was eerily silent. Taako was unpredictable enough on his own, but seeing the twins together in the same space--even for such a brief moment--keyed Kravitz in on what sort of _utter batshit tomfoolery_ he would be in for. He was relieved, for a moment, that he didn't have to collect Lup as a bounty. Barry would have been fine, he was quiet enough, Kravitz wouldn't have had any trouble collecting his soul--

"Wow," Barry said, checking Kravitz' pulse without any sort of warning.

"Um?" Kravitz scooted away.

"Just checking to see if Taako was right." Barry walked over to a desk and brought out a bunch of research notes. Kravitz frowned when he noticed there were a _lot_ of necromancy texts on his shelf. "Do you mind if I check a few things to make sure you weren't hit by some curse?"

"Oh--uh, yes, sure, go ahead. What do I...?"

"Nothing, stay still."

Barry hadn't spoken to him very much yet, so being examined by him out of nowhere was...awkward? Strange? Oddly quiet, absorbed in his work. He wasn't exactly clinical in his checks and tests, either. Seemed like Barry didn't know what a boundary was. He didn't ask before unbuttoning Kravitz' shirt and casting some divination spell on him. He didn't give the courtesy of saying, "hey, this is going to hurt" before pinching Kravitz between the ribs. Kravitz basically had to _wrestle_ the man away from him when he tried to take his blood without a single question. Kravitz took it all back--Barry would have _absolutely_ been a nightmare to collect as a bounty.

Nobody in this family was normal.

"You weren't hit by something..." Barry said, after a long pause.

Kravitz took the opportunity to move farther away. "What is it, then?"

"I'm not exactly sure." Barry thumbed over a book, his notes scribbled in all the margins. After a minute of thought, Barry shrugged. "Although it seems like it was, uh, some kind of godly intervention?"

"Godl--"

"Did you get fired?" Barry asked. Fuck, his voice was just so _quick_ and _monotone_.

"No, I was just given vacation time." Kravitz reached to get the memo out of his pocket, but then remembered that Taako took it. "Six months."

"That's a lot." Barry slammed the book shut. "You don't have _any idea_ what this could be?"

"Well, one thing--" Kravitz held out the envelope addressed to Barry and Lup, handing it over. "She gave me this to deliver to you and Lup."

Barry looked towards the bathroom door, and then to the letter. "I'd hate to open it without her, but uh. If it gives me any sort of insight on your situation, I'm sure Lup'll understand." He hooked his thumb underneath the wax seal of the letter, popping it open. Inside was a piece of black parchment with a note written in silver ink. Barry's nose wrinkled. "Do I have to keep to this theme when I start working for her?"

"You're not into it?"

"Casual necromancy is more my style." Before Kravitz could utter out some comment along the lines of _no, Barry, you can't do necromancy anymore,_ Barry had already stopped paying attention and read the letter. He let out a single huff of breath--a laugh? "Hey, uh. Have you ever had a vacation before?"

"Yes? I mean, admittedly, I don't have seniority in a lot of my choices, I've only been at this for a few hundred years..." Kravitz fidgeted with his hands. Just his luck for something like this to happen during his vacation, right? "I've definitely not had a six month vacation before. Why, what does the letter say?"

Barry folded the letter back up and placed it into his robe. "Letter says you have to take an extended _living_   vacation every five hundred years. I guess so you don't forget how to act like a living person. You have to impersonate the living sometimes, right?"

"I do, but--I haven't heard of this requirement before." Hit with the notion that this was _supposed_ to happen, Kravitz stopped feeling uneasy but veered right into _confused as fuck_   territory. "I've been working this job for six...no, at least seven hundred years. Shouldn't I have done this earlier?"

"Beats me. You'll have to ask her after you get back to work." Barry left the letter on his desk, open and waiting for Lup to read it. "I guess...until then, you have to take care of yourself like a mortal?"

"Huh."

Silence fell over the room. Kravitz listened to his constant heartbeat, took in a few extended breaths. It occurred to him that the tingling feeling in his limbs was just normal blood circulation. His eyes demanded to be shut every few seconds. Even if he was living, should he have been feeling this weak? He was so used to being constantly still, unmoving, quiet; living wasn't quiet. Neither was his stomach, apparently, because it let out a long growl during the silence.

Barry kept himself from laughing. "Have you eaten?"

"I forgot I had to." Kravitz said, embarrassed.

"Polymorph is not something we should be messing with; why don't we go find you something to eat while those two are finishing up? They'll be in there for at least an hour, to make the spell stick."

"That's--yes. Sure."

Barry got up, yelled something incoherent into the bathroom, and headed out with Kravitz. The two found a small tavern near town. Halfway through his meal, Kravitz realized that _maybe_ the reason he was feeling so weak was because he was starving. He shoveled down food like he'd never eaten it before. Barry suggested he drink some coffee, hoping the caffeine would take some of the fuzz out of Kravitz' head.

Speaking to Barry for an extended period of time gave Kravitz personality whiplash. Half of the time, he was so deadpan and scientific, and the other half he was wheezing over some stupid joke he heard and recounting stories about his time with the twins with the most loving look on his face. He was receptive while speaking to Kravitz, though, and even though he left the restaurant utterly confused as to _what the fuck Barry was_ , he had the idea that Barry liked him.

When the two got back to the lab, both twins were out of the bathroom--but Lup had Taako in the middle of a necromancer's circle, drawing runes in chalk. Both twins looked up at Kravitz with the guiltiest of smiles plastered on their faces.

"What's shaking, bone daddy?" Lup asked, leaning over her brother.

"Why is it so _difficult_ for you and your family to _stay away from necromancy, Taako!?"_   Kravitz wished he still had the ability to call his scythe. 

Taako stood up and walked out of the circle. "I told you he wouldn't think it was funny."

"It's not my fault your boyfriend has an abysmal sense of humor." Lup huffed, running over to Barry. She stuck her tongue out at Kravitz as she passed him. He was expecting her to look vastly different after getting hit with polymorph, but Kravitz couldn't tell what had changed just by looking. Not his business, anyway--Lup was Lup, and he didn't need to know what she wanted changed. At the very least, she looked more comfortable and lively. That's what was really important.

"Not all of our boyfriends can be obsessed with death. Well, actually--shit, I guess they are." Both twins laughed.

"Oh, shit, also--I read the letter. Guess you're alive because of bird milf, right?" Lup said, gesturing vaguely at Kravitz. "When I talked to her about giving you a vacation, I didn't think she'd roll out with six months of it, but I'm not complaining."

"Please don't call her that." Kravitz said, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And--wait, you told her to give me time off?"

"Yeah? It was a little add-on thing, I asked her while I was negotiating mine and Barry's undeath. You know, so we could all take a little family vacation. Well--shit, I guess it's a  _big_ family vacation now, but you know what I mean."

Kravitz blinked, a little surprised Lup was already roping him into a _family_ activity. "I suppose I can understand that, but why is Taako dead?"

"I wasn't given all the details. We can figure out _exactly_ what's going on tomorrow. I mean, it seems like it was part of the deal? Bird milf probably knows what she's doing." Lup fiddled with her hair, making her way to the door. "It shouldn't hurt either one of you if you both just...relax tonight and enjoy the party?"

"Yeah, no problem." Taako followed Lup out the door.

"You're okay with just...being dead?" Kravitz followed behind.

"I've done it before, no big deal. I assume your boss isn't trying to kill me for good, judging by this. I think I'm just filling in for you or something." He flattened out the memo he shoved in his pocket earlier, tossing it to Kravitz. Before he could answer, Taako had already moved on. "Barry, where'd Magnus say he was setting up?"

"It's not too far from here. I'm surprised he hasn't called, we're very late." Barry wasn't far behind them, and handed Taako a map.

"It's called being  _fashionably late, Barry,_ maybe you need to take notes. Hey Krav, know any good party tricks I can do with this deadass corpse body?" Taako hooked his arm around Kravitz. It was a little concerning that none of them were bothered by this whole situation--they had switched to talking about the party being thrown to celebrate Lup's new body. Taako was freaked out earlier on the train, but now he was shrugging it off and going along with his sister. Either Taako didn't fear death, or he figured he could escape it somehow if the situation ended up permanent. Kravitz just followed the other three, in a bit of a daze, trying to get a good read on his boyfriend's family. 

No, that was impossible. 

These people were chaos incarnate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone for commenting on the first chapter! It was so heartwarming to hear how interested people were in the premise!  
> Next chapter gets a little more into why all of this is happening.


	3. Party it Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has a good party. Taako gets called to speak with a goddess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Minor spoilers for the Nashville live show..............I had to put it in here as soon as I listened to the episode! (seriously, if you haven't listened to the liveshow, DO IT NOW it's so great.)

Admittedly, Kravitz felt out of place at this party. Being on the old Bureau of Balance moon base was strange enough. The window in the floor of this room overlooked Faerun--although, last time he was in this room, there had been a rug hiding it. It really was a strange sensation, though, and it looked like people were avoiding walking on the window. The place wasn't decorated at all. Really, it seemed like this was a big excuse for everyone to get wasted and fuck around with the newly-bodied lich girl. His (now dead for some damn reason) boyfriend was at his sister's hip for the entire night, and the rest of the Starblaster crew wasn't too far behind. BOB employees and people that Magnus, Merle, and Taako met in their adventure were all over the place. Most of them were curious about Lup. Kravitz stayed on the outskirts of any given space, listening into some errant conversations between guests.

"You and me and Barry should start a club full of people born out of the goo tube! That would be fantastic," Magnus yelled after drinking an entire flask in one swig, one twin in each arm.

"I'm sorry--you _willingly_ called yourself...Tres Horny Boys?" Davenport asked, sitting across from Merle.

Barry ran away from one of the crowds with a vial full of black liquid in his hands, looked Kravitz dead in the eyes, and whispered, " _I got Taako's blood_ ," before disappearing into a different crowd.

Eventually, Kravitz found a large group had formed around Lup, drunkenly talking about the vacation that he was now a part of.

"So Barry and I-- _BARRY! BABE! GET OVER HERE!_   Barry and I are gonna draw up a bucket list of shit we _have_ to do before our undeath. Got six months to do this shit, so we have to go big--first of all, there's some kind of battlewagon racing action that I wasn't entirely awake for, so I _need_ to try that out. We're going to have to go on some kind of world tour...and speaking of worlds, I think there's gotta be some way to get back to the worlds that got destroyed in the Hunger, since they're all back now? So, 'natch, I think we should drop back in on some places, maybe animal planet? Tesseralia? Definitely have to go and get my fifteen dollars back--"

Magnus interrupted, "Ooh, call me when you do that one! I want to cut Greg's ear off!"

Taako spat out his drink. "What the _fuck,_ Magnus?"

"Call me when you go, because I _need_   to see that." Merle downed a glass of brandy, unfazed by Magnus' claim.

Barry let out a breath, shaking his head. "Lup, is that even worth it? That's--uh, maybe that's too much? I'm definitely not going."

"Oh, yeah, you're right. I'll take that one off the list." She waited until Barry was out of earshot before whisper-shouting to the Tres Horny Boys, " _Magnus, Merle, Taako--I'm holding you to this, we WILL collect later, but maybe don't tell Barry."_

For the most part, the other guests didn't bother Kravitz. He was approached by the other members of the Starblaster crew, who asked a lot of questions about him and Taako. Magnus was trying to have the  _if you hurt him I'll kill you_ talk, but couldn't quite figure out how he'd kill Kravitz. Merle was inappropriate (but thankfully, it seemed like he didn't care anymore that Kravitz pretended to be his god and caused the loss of his arm). Lucretia asked about Taako quietly, and left as soon as she saw him watching. Davenport spoke to him like he was interviewing him for a job, but offered to spend some time with him at a later date to chat over wine. 

A few others did come to see him, but he wasn't familiar with all of their names. A small (and very cute, and very smart, and very very perfect) boy came up and wrote a few things down, asking lots of personal questions. A drow woman who had never been on the moon before (and honestly, looked a little nauseous) came up and spoke to Kravitz about Taako--she was a big fan. 

A freezing sensation crawled up Kravitz' spine. He turned around, and the source was standing right behind him. Taako laughed, taking his hands out from under Kravitz' shirt.

"Who's cold and weird _now?"_

"Oh--shit, do I really feel like that?"

"All the time," Taako said with a crooked smile. "Hey, don't give me that face! I'm used to it, it's not--don't act like it's a problem or something."

"Are you sure it's not bad?" Kravitz had been told it wasn't a problem on multiple occasions, but he couldn't help but feel a little self conscious. 

"It's--fuck, it's like this." Taako reached up and grabbed Kravitz by the collar, pulling him into a kiss without much warning. And, yes, Taako was cold...but Kravitz' face was burning, so the sensation came out more refreshing than weird. He had intended for it to be a quick demonstration, but the two got lost in it. Taako pulled back, but kept himself close. "See?"

 _"Oh."_ Kravitz' heart was pounding.

"Yeah, like, it's weird _for sure_. But, y'know, in a good way."

"It's _nice_ ," Kravitz said, doe-eyed and grinning at both ears. He coughed, embarrassed--how long had he been staring? "I just hope this all clears up soon. It's unnerving seeing you like this."

"I've been dead before, no biggie."

"It's...I'd say it _is_ a big deal, Taako." Kravitz held onto Taako tightly. "You're not--you're not your sister, death isn't something that you can just shrug off. And thinking about it, she can't either, because she's dying for real in six months."

Taako laughed, shifting his voice into a whisper. "If shit goes off, and I'm like, dead forever, it's _fine._ Body tube's empty again. I'm _sure_ you've got some of my DNA to put in there--"

"Y-y-you know I wouldn't be able to allow that, right?" It didn't seem possible for Kravitz' face to get any darker, but his entire face had a deep red tint to it now.

Mockingly offended, Taako pulled back. "I thought I was an edge case, cut me some slack!"

"I'd rather you stay _safe,_ Taako." Kravitz laid his forehead against his boyfriend's, speaking softly, his eyes loaded with worry. "You know I love you, and I'm not about to let--"

_"Hey, what's up over here?"_

Kravitz nearly jumped out of his skin. Lup had come up behind him and laid her chin on his shoulder, grinning at her brother. Taako pushed her face away. "Lup, you're _scaring_ him."

"You tease Barry all the time, I should be allowed to do the same to _your_ boyfriend."

Taako groaned, peeling himself off of Kravitz. "Barry practically begs to be teased, have you seen how he acts?"

"Have you seen how _Kravitz_ acts???"

Taako turned, scowling at his sister. "What are you--"

"You've carried on the family tradition of dating nerds!" Lup moved in between Kravitz and Taako. 

"He's not a nerd, he's--"

"LORD of nerds. In fact, I feel like I have to call a--"

"Lulu, don't you fucking da--"

" _NERD ALERT!"_

Through the chaos, Kravitz hadn't even noticed that Barry came in to watch the twins fight. "Am I supposed to cut in?"

"Don't even dare. You have to let them fizzle out sometimes," Barry said, ending his thought with a stiff exhale. Was that really how he laughed? Nothing was normal about this man. He started looking Kravitz over again, checking his pulse without permission. "Takes a bit to get used to, I know."

Kravitz pushed Barry's hands away, stepping to the side. "I thought you were done experimenting on me."

"No, I was done _diagnosing_ you. This is different," Barry said, letting out another exhale-laugh. He called over to Lup. "Hey, Lup, it's been a while--you holding up okay?"

Lup smiled and waved, keeping Taako in a choke-hold and resisting his frantic kicking. She licked her pinky finger. "Yeah, babe, just fine!"

"You want to head back soon?"

"Mmm, I'm good!" Lup tried to shove her finger into Taako's ear as she spoke. She did this so nonchalantly, and it would have seemed perfectly normal if Taako hadn't been screaming the entire time. "I haven't even tried getting drunk yet."

"You probably shouldn't do that so soon, Lu-- _FUCK_ _, I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU!"_   Taako wrestled out of her grasp, wiping off his ear. 

"I can handle myself!" Lup wiped her hand off on her shirt. 

"It's been hours, I mean--you should really rest soon," Barry said, walking over to kiss her on the cheek. Kravitz was surprised to see that none of the three brought up Lup's wet willie attack on her brother. Even Taako had picked up and moved on, even if he looked pissed off. Barry squeezed Lup's hand. "New body doesn't mean _indestructible_ body, Lup."

"You and Magnus fought in the apocalypse right after getting new bodies, I can handle a party!"

Taako circled back, pointing at Kravitz. "Genius idea: let's use newly-living bone daddy as a meter." Taako slipped an arm over Kravitz' shoulder. "Krav, how you feeling?"

"I...um, I'm not entirely sure?" Fuck, it was embarrassing to not know something so basic. "My eyes and my legs feel heavy."

"See, he's exhausted. I'm cutting you off."

"Fine." Lup smiled, laying her head on Barry's shoulder. "Hey, Barry, you know...it's been such a long time since--"

Taako pulled his hat over his ears, his voice cracking in embarrassment after every other word. "Gross, gross, DON'T do that in _FRONT OF ME!_   You should be less _JIVED_ to talk about boning Barry in front of your _LITERAL FUCKING BROTHER!"_

"I didn't even _SAY ANYTHING!!"_  Lup yelled loud enough for the rest of the party to start watching the fight."That's on you--you're the one who's mind went straight to bone-town, I was going to suggest taking a nap with my boyfriend! I was going to ask if you wanted to join, and it would have been a family-friendly, G-rated activity--but no, no, now? You've unlocked the Barry-Lup audio sex tape, which wi-i-i-ill be on your bed tomorrow, edited for smooth listening pleasure! I'll put that shit on a record and give it to you for Candlenights, disguised as a fucking fantasy Carly Rae Jepsen CD!" 

Taako froze up, stammering through his thoughts but unable to put them into proper sentences.

Lup just winked and pulled Barry away from the party, saying her goodbyes. All Barry could offer was an apologetic and flustered shrug.

* * *

 "How is--are you adjusting to death well?"

Taako sat at the end of the bed, watching Kravitz as he got ready to go to sleep. He forgot what sort of routine he had, so Taako ended up having to remind him to wash his face and brush his teeth, along with anything else he could think of. He threw in a few fake ones for good measure. "Yeah, it's actually pretty sweet! Everyone was _super_ freaked out by it. Made Magnus cry. I thought Angus was going to wet himself. Hey, and I'm not even tired! I forgot to fucking eat and I'm still good to go!"

Kravitz sat next to him, finishing up. "I meant, are you feeling alright?"

"Oh, sure. There's been this tugging feeling at the back of my brain for couple hours, but other than that nothing's been--"

Immediately, Kravitz tensed up. "Taako, that's a call from the Raven Queen!"

"Really?" Taako touched the back of his head. "How do I answer it?"

"I'm not sure if you can, you don't have a scythe or a way to summon yourself to her domain..."

As Kravitz tried to think of a way to get Taako into the Astral Plane, a rift opened up on the bedroom floor. 

"That's the ticket!"

"Wait, I should come with you." Kravitz walked towards the rift. As he approached it, the rift closed up and a new one popped up near Taako.

"Guess it's just me." Taako stepped to the rift, shrugging at Kravitz. "C'mon, don't give me that face! I'll be right back. Ask some questions, figure out what's up with you..."

"Just be careful. And respectful, please."

With a nod and a thumbs-up, Taako prepared to step down into the rift. Instead, his foot snagged on a stray piece of clothing on the floor and he tripped into the rift.

Taako fell back-first through the rift, into an insanely beautiful room. The walls were lined with black velvet wallpaper and deep purple curtains. A black crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, with dim candles set on the edges. Gorgeous rugs patterned the floor, but underneath them hid deep stained mahogany wood. The furniture in this room was only one of two things: made of intricately carved blackened wood, or built out of bones. Taako had fallen onto an intensely gothic chaise lounge, black and purple. What a consistent theme. Black raven feathers floated in the air, littering most empty spaces. Across from his seat sat a half bird, half...humanoid? Difficult to tell. But she was of monstrous size, and covered in black and silver jewelry. She sat on a throne of silver and skulls. Her voice rang out and shook the whole room.

"I apologize I couldn't arrange a meeting earlier," the figure said. No introductions were necessary--this was, ultimately and without any doubt, the Raven Queen. She...smiled? Hard to tell if someone is smiling when they have a beak for a mouth. "Apocalypse still has us a little backed up."

"Oh, it's no problem--I'm _loving_ this place, by the way." Taako made himself comfortable, positioning himself on the chaise lounge in a way that one _should absolutely not_ be in front of a _literal goddess._ Thankfully, she seemed charmed enough not to smite him, even with the casual way he was speaking to her. "Great time to give my man a six month vacation, like, what's up with that planning?"

The Raven Queen laughed--in a very otherworldly tone, of course. Sounded like a bird's cry mixed in with guttural eldritch shrieks. "Honestly, I couldn't prolong his living sabbatical for much longer. He was supposed to have one two hundred years ago."

"Oh?" Taako grinned, leaning forward.

"I suppose it's my fault." She moved her head side to side, thinking out loud. "He's still young for a reaper, and he's been so busy lately...but honestly, I'm surprised the resource department didn't tell him about all his options. I may have to scare them off for slacking. Ha ha." This laugh was more normal, even if it was toneless and void of actual joy.

"So, what _is_ the deal with this vacation?" Taako shifted in the seat, fanning feathers out of his line of sight. "Also, am I dead forever now, or...?"

"No, no, you're still very much alive. Or, ah, you will be. In six months." The Raven Queen conjured a small diagram of the planes in midair, shifting them as she spoke to illustrate her thoughts. "The Astral Plane would be thrown out of balance if Kravitz' soul wasn't replaced with another during his absence. It's general protocol for these living vacations, so don't be alarmed. Although, if you would prefer to _stay_ dead, that could also be arranged..." That laugh again.

"Taako's got a lot of plans lined up for the next few hundred years, so...hard pass on that offer."  He laughed back, if only to give off some nervous energy he had collected over the past few minutes. Shit, this felt like meeting Kravitz' mother. "Why six months?"

"It gives bounty hunters enough time to remember the sensation of living. If they go too long without it, it becomes more difficult to do parts of their job on the Prime Material Plane. It's also a way for them to check back in with any available family...of which Kravitz has none, so no need to fret." She tilted her head. "You've probably noticed by now, but being undead has...selective functions available. I trust you'll make sure Kravitz isn't too overwhelmed by it all?"

"I mean, if that's an order from a goddess," Taako said. There was a beat of silence. He figured he should just go ahead and ask. "Hey, so, are you--are you, like, his mom?"

She laughed again, "I'm his boss. However, I do have a close relationship with _all_ my subjects. I know _your_   goddess takes a more hands-off approach, but I think of my subjects as family."

"Funny, 'cause Krav's always worried about angering you." Fine, if she was answering questions, Taako figured he could push a little more. "Do any of your other subjects get down on the living?"

"Your situation isn't entirely unheard of," she said, speaking in a melodic _I know something you don't know_ tone. "Barring the whole situation of bringing your sister and her husband on as reapers, of course. It's relatively common for bounty hunters to find partners among the living. Of course, I try to welcome them into my domain as best as possible after their passing. It would be cruel of me to cut their happiness short."

"For future reference, I'd be fine running the same gig as Lup."

"I'll keep that in mind, but only if you and Kravitz are still...together by then."

Taako put a hand on his heart, acting shocked but chuckling through the act. "Even if we aren't, would you be so heartless as to separate me from my sister?"

"I suppose you have security either way," The Raven Queen hummed, laying her head across her hand. "Although, it is quite entertaining watching Kravitz trip over himself for you."

"Isn't it?"

"You're all he talks about in the office lately. It was nice to meet you for myself."

Taako's ears shot upwards. " _All_   he talks about?"

"Well, I don't want to keep you away from the festivities for too long." She stood from her throne, walking towards Taako. "I don't normally call to explain this sort of thing, but I realized I didn't give either of you much warning beforehand. The resource department should deliver an information packet tomorrow, and that can answer any other pressing questions."

He stood up as well, but was caught in her shadow. "Can I ask one more thing?"

"If it's quick."

Taako thought for a moment, then waved his hand. "Nah, then I'll save it for another time."

"I may call you again if I have any spare moments within the next six months." The Raven Queen started opening a rift, gesturing towards it. "You are...interesting to speak to, Taako. Tell Kravitz to cut loose a little bit for me."

Taako approached the rift, waving the goddess good-bye. "Will do!" He stepped through the rift back into the Prime Material Plane. But instead of stepping back onto solid ground, he fell as soon as he shifted his weight into the rift.

He fell five feet, landing in Kravitz' lap.

_What a blessing, **thank you,** Bird Queen._

The rift in the ceiling closed itself slowly. Kravitz had obviously been getting ready to go to sleep, but now Taako had fallen face-first into his arms.

"Taako!"

Taako sat up, not even bothering to check his surroundings before feverishly kissing Kravitz. 

Kravitz pulled back too soon. Damn his work-obsessed mind. "What did she say?"

"She wants you to stop worrying and enjoy your time off," Taako said, pressing kisses against Kravitz' jaw and neck in between words. "Oh, and she's very sweet on the idea of us staying together, so...like, dating me is a duty to your goddess now. You can't escape me."

"Wh--She--" Kravitz stammered, staring at the ceiling where the rift had just opened. He was still trying to focus on work. Somehow, he was succeeding. "No, what did she say about this situation?"

Taako groaned, sitting back up to explain. Too bad distracting him didn't work. "Something about, it would throw off the balance in the Astral Plane if a soul suddenly became living, so she had to, like, replace mine with yours?" Taako leaned back into Kravitz' chest, taking a moment to listen to his heart. _Nice._ "You were supposed to do this two hundred years ago, but the office fucked up and didn't tell you about it."

"I've always suspected the Resource Department had it out for me," Kravitz said with a sigh. He ran a hand through Taako's hair. "I'm sorry you were roped into all this."

"You kidding? I'm all aboard," Taako said, flashing a grin. "I mean, it kind of puts a damper on the trip to the Astral Plane you promised me, but we can do that anytime."

Kravitz tensed up again, eyes darting around the room. "We could do it right now, I--I need to speak to her, try and figure this all out, and--"

"Kravitz."

"This isn't--I should really be heading back. To the Astral Plane. I don't...I don't get this at all, this isn't--"

_Kravitz!"_

Taako scowled at him, arms folded. 

"You're on _vacation_."

Kravitz practically melted into Taako's arms. Breathing, heart pounding, blinking--suddenly at the mercy of hundreds of sensations that he was able to turn off and ignore as a corpse, unable to deal with all of them bombarding him at once. He still couldn't discern the difference between hunger and indigestion; a full bladder was an alarm bell, a cough felt like drowning. Holding onto Taako took very little effort, though, and he was silent as he did so. Kravitz hadn't noticed when he was dead, but after cuddling close for a good few minutes, Taako wasn't running as cold as before. There was a temperature equilibrium between the two, like when cold water hits a steaming hot pan in the sink. Neither hot nor cold, but something in the middle. Kravitz had always just registered Taako as warmer than he was, but his living body could sense the subtle temperature changes. No wonder Taako always preferred sleeping with him over meditating and getting more conversation time in--this felt wonderful.

He took in a sharp breath, speaking up, his voice calmer. "What am I supposed to do?"

Taako raised an eyebrow and gestured to himself.

Alright, Kravitz couldn't help but laugh at that. 

"No, but seriously," Taako started, his voice low and comforting, "Go to sleep."

Kravitz didn't need much coaxing after that. In fact, he passed out almost as soon as the words hit his ears. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter...........was longer than I thought it would be. Whoops! Hope you all enjoyed it!


	4. "Yeah."

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Kravitz don't adjust well to the switch. Lup analyzes her brother's relationship.

There's something about being dead that throws off basic activities.

Talking, for one thing. When someone doesn't breathe while talking, it's _freaky._ Kravitz always had the courtesy to take breaths at the right time so it didn't seem weird. Taako was not great at this. The whole rhythm of his speech was thrown. His sentences were too long. His laugh sounded slightly more mechanical--no wheezing or frantic breathing in the middle. Sometimes he'd just keep stuttering while trying to find the next word, and someone had to knock him out of the feedback loop.

Another thing: sleeping. Sure, elves don't need to sleep. But the twins always liked to. The problem with sleeping as a dead person, though, wasn't the lack of need to sleep. It was the lack of ability to sleep a full night. Every night Taako woke up four hours earlier than desired, next to his boyfriend and also sometimes his sister and in-law, and just...had to _wait_ until one of them woke up. The one perk of this was watching Kravitz sleep.

Eating? Didn't need to. But everyone else in the house did. He would announce in the morning that he was planning a big dinner, and then forget to make one because his stomach didn't tell him it was time to eat. His digestive system would only work if he ate something. When he didn't eat, the feeling of not having to go to the bathroom at regular intervals was, simultaneously, unsettling and awesome. But the worst part? It took _so much_ alcohol for him to get even a little bit tipsy. At some point he resigned himself to not drinking, because it really wasn't worth it.

Kravitz thought this was all adorable until he suffered from the opposite.

Talking was kind of a chore. He felt like he couldn't get all of the words he wanted out. He would ramble on about something until he ran out of air, just because he forgot to pause organically in the sentence to breathe. Big, wheezing breaths littered his speech. His laugh was a less proper and put-together, full of snorting and hiccups.

Sleeping? Oh no, he needed to do that now. Consistently. Didn't even have the option to meditate. His normal routine was to fall asleep with his boyfriend, wake up halfway through, then enjoy relaxing and reading with a sleeping Taako in his arms. Now, he would pass out and wake up to Taako pretending like he wasn't just watching him sleep. Not to mention that Kravitz was now getting dragged in the same bed as Lup and Barry on some nights--Kravitz didn't plan on getting to know the family by co-sleeping with near strangers, but hey. Life's full of surprises.

Oh, and did Kravitz forget to eat? You bet. Lup was practically shoving food in his face at all hours of the day, worried he'd die from accidental starvation. Which, he wouldn't--because _holy shit,_ his stomach hurt when he didn't eat. Nine times out of ten, when he felt weak for no reason it was because he was hungry. He drank a lot of water, finding himself thirsty at all hours of the day. Became very drunk very quickly. He had forgotten that it took less alcohol to make a living man drunk, so one night he blacked out because he kept trying to match Taako.

The two weren't great at adjusting to the reversal, but the funniest results of this came from the bedroom.

Sex was a disaster. Before anything happened, the dead needed to be kicked into a heartbeat (can't get hard without blood flow), but luckily the two knew how to deal with this. In death, Kravitz could easily be flustered into a heartbeat--but Taako had trouble getting in the right emotional state to knock his heart into a living rhythm. Kravitz, still getting the hang of regulated breathing, kept having to stop and catch his breath just as Taako was starting to have some fun. The whole ordeal felt like the two brought their hands up for a high-five, but misaligned and ended up smacking each other in the face instead.

Whatever. At least they couldn't fuck up cuddling.

"I uh--I didn't mean to--"

"Shush, no helping it," Taako said, after the two of them figured that they just couldn't get into it tonight. He situated himself in Kravitz' arms, laying his head on his chest. Hearing an actual heartbeat was soothing. "Honestly, I don't know how you manage as a corpse. This is fucking impossible."

"You, ah, get used to it." Kravitz ran a hand through Taako's hair--his fingers brushed his chilled scalp, reminding him how _dead_ Taako was right now. "I'm having more trouble with...well, I haven't lived in hundreds of years. This isn't--I don't know what I'm doing."

"Hey, you got six months to figure yourself out. I mean, fuck, that's the point of this whole vacation, isn't it?"

"I suppose it is." Although it was still embarrassing for Kravitz to be constantly tripping over himself.

Taako was just so _still_ lying next to him. All things considered, he had taken to death easily--wasn't blinking or breathing out of habit. Usually first to fall asleep and last to wake up, but he didn't have the biological need to sleep anymore, so he laid there absentmindedly running fingers along Kravitz--not even sexually, more as a way to give his hands an empty task.

"It's unnerving," Kravitz said, kissing the top of Taako's head, "Not being able to hear your heart beat."

Taako flashed the biggest shit-eating grin Kravitz had seen in a while. "Would you rather I bring Barry in here to get it kicking?"

" _Absolutely not._ "

" _Kidding!"_ He laughed, leaning up to kiss Kravitz' jaw in apology. "Still so serious, even on vacation." Taako's lips moved down to suck lightly on Kravitz' neck, soft and slow, one of those tricky hands moving to caress his thigh.

"Ah--oh, uh, Taako, I don't know if I can..." Kravitz managed to squeak out, even though it truly felt _wonderful._ "Um, I'm just. Tired. I think? We can try again tomorrow?"

Kravitz expected a whine or some kind of fussing, but Taako's ears perked up and he was...happy? "Hey, look at that! You know when you're tired now." He situated himself into a more comfortable sleeping position, and Kravitz adjusted to fit. His eyes were getting heavier by the second. Taako let out a useless breath, mumbling some mangled form of "goodnight."

As his eyes dropped closed, Kravitz muttered, "Love you."

"Yeah." Taako hadn't said it back yet--well, he sort of did. A couple of times while drunk. But Kravitz insisted those didn't count. He wasn't pushing him to say it back, and Taako didn't have a problem _hearing_ it, so they were stuck in this "I love you" limbo.

But honestly, saying "yeah," in response wasn't the best move.

* * *

The four of them piled onto a train for Goldcliff the next day. Lup wasn't kidding about that bucket list. And now that she and Barry had six months-- _holy shit, that's heaven_ \--to live, Lup had to pull out as many activities as she could possibly dream of. Battlewagon racing in Goldcliff was just one of many. The train ride was long, but they had rented a private compartment to chill out in. Great! Lup wanted a more accurate read on her brother's boyfriend, and pulling him into close quarters with the family was a good start.

And, yes. Lup watched _very_ closely.

Every brush of eye contact between the two. The specific words they used to address each other. How Kravitz reacted to being thrown into a cramped compartment space with Taako's family.

It was still early. They had only been dating for, what? Half a year? Compared to the fifty-some-odd years of her and Barry flitting about, these two were going at light speed. The signs that this was still a very new feeling for the both of them were laid out bare, and it was so obvious. When he thought nobody was looking, Taako would sneak glances over--not checking him out, either--loving, soft stares. Kravitz' eyes were so bright and lively when Taako was in view. She swore she saw Taako fiddling with his braid nervously as Kravitz complimented him on something mundane. When they thought Lup wasn't watching (she was) they stole a quick kiss, but there was so much energy in it. The two melted into each other. She had never seen her brother smile like that--Barry commented that it looked suspiciously like how Lup smiled at him when they started dating.

Lup had watched their dates while she was trapped in her umbrella, but their relationship had progressed a lot since then. A little more stable. They had cleared the initial honeymoon phase and dropped into serious commitment territory, but still in that early stage where nothing was set in stone. They might have a few fights soon, as they really start to hammer this whole thing out, but that wouldn't last long. Everyone goes through that. What mattered was that Taako really had something here. And Lup was happy to be in a physical body to be there for the rest of it.

Oh, and try as she might, she couldn't find any real criticisms of Kravitz. She already knew he had a good job. Anybody who could stand either twin in any capacity was either a saint or just as ridiculous as the twins themselves--Lup didn't know which one Kravitz was yet, but she didn't mind either way. She knew she was seeing a more professional version of him (he was trying  _very hard_ to impress her, she thought) but she had seen enough in the umbrella to know he wasn't playing Taako. Dude was old-fashioned and charming; he kissed Taako's hand at some point, and when Taako teased him about it he let out a nervous trill of laughter. Lup didn't have a proper one-on-one conversation with the guy yet, but she definitely approved.

Kravitz would end up being her brother-in-law. She had a feeling. 

At least, until Lup watched _the dumbest fucking thing in the world_ happen right before her eyes.

Kravitz and Taako might as well have dropped a live explosive in the middle of the compartment, for all the difference it made to Lup's reaction.

"Love you," Kravitz said, in such a practiced way that Lup could tell that it wasn't the first time.

"Yeah," Taako answered, in the _SAME_ practiced way?

It took all of her energy not to grill the living daylights out of her brother, right then and there.

No, she'd wait until later.

But it was still ridiculous! Lup watched them for less than an hour and knew how head-over-heels Taako was for this guy. Even Barry turned to her with a look on his face that read _did he really just do that?_ Sure, Taako got a little distant over the past ten years, but she didn't think he'd go so far as to emotionally cockblock his boyfriend. It might have taken Lup and Barry fifty years to make things Fantasy Facebook-official, but it wasn't like dropping the L-bomb six months in was rushing things.

Lup must have had a sour look on her face, because Kravitz was mortified.

* * *

And now he was on Lup's bad side.

This was the only conclusion Kravitz could draw. He told Taako he loved him in front of her, and she thought that was too fast? Or was she being protective? Whatever her problem was, it made Kravitz want to jump out the window. Thankfully, Taako decided to plop himself down next to his sister and start chattering on about their destination. Maybe if she was distracted, she wouldn't hate him as much.

"Soooooo, battlewagons?" Taako was not entirely subtle about his plot to smooth things back over. "Anyone figure out their racing personas yet?"

At least Lup took the bait. "You still got your mongoose mask?"

"Dumbass, we can't use that now. I took it off in front of a crowd," Taako said, clicking his tongue, "This doesn't work if everyone knows who we are, the point is to be anonymous because it's technically illegal."

"And you think people won't recognize us? A set of twins carting around a dude in jeans?"

"I'm just saying, we have to at least make an effort." 

"I want to be a vulture," Barry said, unprompted, completely monotone.

Taako rolled his eyes, folding his arms in. "Why?"

"Eats dead things," Barry answered. He winked at Lup, and then wheezed-laughed, failing to completely deadpan the joke.

 _"BAROLD!"_ Taako yelled, voice cracking as it rose in pitch. He stormed off to the other end of the compartment. "Lup, you _corrupted_ him! Barry is  _fucking broken!"_

"Babe, that's gross." Lup laughed, scooting over to kiss him. "I love you."

Barry softened up, smiling in a way he only could around Lup. "Love you too."

It just sounded so natural when the two of them said it. Sure, Kravitz wasn't rushing Taako to say anything, but he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious being the only one to say it. He had asked Taako if he should stop, but he shrugged and said that it didn't bother him to hear it. Jealousy was too strong of a word, but watching Lup and Barry drop that shit so casually put a sour taste in his mouth. But no use in rushing, it should come at some point. He'd just have to be patient. 

Right?

Shit, Kravitz was staring. 

Lup smiled at him, face crooked and plotting. "So, bone boy, what did you want to dress up as?"

"You can't call him bone boy, he's not dead anymore," Taako yelled from the other side of the compartment.

"What, you think the Raven Queen _TOOK AWAY HIS BONES?"_  Lup's last few words fell into a giggling mess, until the rest of the compartment joined her. After everyone settled down, Lup pointed back at Kravitz. "No seriously, what're you going as?"

"Uh, I'm not too great at this sort of thing," Kravitz stammered out, looking around at the other three, "The only animal that really comes to mind is a raven. Not surprising, I know."

"No, no nooo. You can't be a raven, there was already a racer called the Raven," Taako said, grimacing, "You should have seen that. Would've loved her costume." 

Kravitz tried to think of another animal that would appeal to him, but nothing did. If nothing else, he was loyal to his goddess. "Does it have to be an animal?"

"Does it?" Lup looked to Taako. He shrugged, unsure.

"Hurley wasn't too clear on that."

Lup shrugged in solidarity, shaking her head. "I say be whatever you want. Follow your bliss."

"I'll come up with something by morning." 

"Great, great, what about you?" Lup turned to Taako. "Since you're so huffy about using the same persona twice."

"I think we should coordinate," Taako said. He motioned between the two of them. "Nothing cooler than a mirror image on the racetrack."

"You realize having a set of wizard twins on the battlewagons is going to be a  _pretty big_ hint to our identities, right?"

Taako waved his hand. "Don't care. We'll workshop it." 

_"Then why can't we just do the mongoose thing?"_

_"I took off my fucking mask in front of hundreds of people, it's not a SECRET anymore!"_

Barry sighed, grabbing Kravitz by the arm and pulling him out of the compartment. He led Kravitz to the back of one of the train cars, out in the open air. The high speed of the train didn't bother Barry, but it threw Kravitz a bit off balance. Barry murmured something about his inner ear. The two stood in silence for a couple of minutes before Barry spoke up. "If they're bickering again, I don't want to be there for it."

"I thought you were used to it?" 

"It's less good-natured than usual. It's really best to just let it die out on its own. I think Taako's on edge, he's starting more fights." Barry frowned, leaning over the railing. "And Lup was so excited to have this."

Kravitz looked down at the ground. "I don't--I don't know much about sibling fights, but it seemed tame? At least for Taako."

"I could be imagining it," Barry said. 

The two stood in silence for ten minutes, watching the scenery pass by. The outskirts of Goldcliff fell into view, but far away. Maybe an hour until they pulled into the station. Kravitz didn't mind the quiet--it was kind of nice. Lup might have hated him for dropping the love bomb, but Barry seemed fine enough. Even after all the necromancy. Hell, it was even a little comforting to be around someone who went through a similar courting system and succeeded. 

"So what was that all about?"

Kravitz blinked, confused. "What are you talking about?"

"You, uh, said something pretty big to Taako and he brushed it off?" Barry picked at some chipped paint on the railing. "Does that happen a lot?"

"Oh--no, no, we're fine. Trust me." Kravitz spoke in a rushed tone. Hopefully Barry wouldn't tell Taako or Lup about this. "I, ah. I said it a while back, and he wasn't ready to reciprocate--I'm not rushing him. But he said he didn't mind hearing it, so, I say it every once in a while, just to--I guess, to remind myself? I don't know. He wasn't brushing it off, that was, um. That's just how he acknowledges it, I think. Nothing committal, but it's not rude, either." 

"That's fine, I uh. Wanted to make sure?" He knocked off a large chip of paint. "You seemed a little dazed when I said it to Lup?"

"I mean." Kravitz could feel blood rushing to his cheeks. "I just. I'm not. He can take his time, it was just. It threw me off?"

Barry chuckled. "No, I hear you."

"I would love to hear it at some point. Again, I don't want to rush it, it's just--" Kravitz stopped. He lowered his voice. "It's nice to hear, I would assume."

"It is." Barry smiled, lost in thought. He snapped out of it, his face turning red. "Uh, not to be braggy."

"No, it wasn't. You're, ah, very lucky." Kravitz frowned, "Don't...don't tell Taako? I don't want him to think I'm--"

"You're fine. Secret's safe."

"Alright."

He tapped the railing. "If we go grab some drinks from the dining car, we could bring them back to the compartment. That'll quiet those two down, hopefully." Barry opened the door back into the train. "And if it's not too weird to say, I uh. I've been there? So I guess, if you need to talk, I'm open. I'm Taako's brother too, Lup doesn't have a monopoly on that anymore."

"Thank you, Barry."

"But you have to let me collect samples off of you in exchange."

"Fuck off, Barry."

The two laughed (or, in Barry's case, wheezed), making their way back inside. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Candlenights, everyone!


	5. Hearts Racing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup scratches a racing itch. A couple things click in Taako's brain. Some old friends drive by.

A swanky Goldcliff hotel room--smack in the middle of town, thirty floors up. A corner room, to boot. The two walls facing outward were covered in double sided glass, and the dimming light of the day poured through the room. Barry and Kravitz were out, tasked with borrowing (stealing) a battlewagon, leaving the twins to get ready for the race. They always needed time to prepare. Taako pulled at his sister's hair, pins and ribbons hanging out of his mouth. His hair was done up in exactly the same way that he was putting hers in; it wasn't often that the two tried to look similar on purpose, but the battlewagon persona they had agreed on dictated it.

"Wonder what your man finally decided on?" Lup asked, ears flicking.

Something about having a conversation about Kravitz with his sister shook Taako at his core. He could only hum in response, but swat at her ears to get his point across.

"Hey!" Lup reached backwards and pulled at one of Taako's earrings.

He dropped the pins and ribbons out of his mouth, cursing in pain. " _FUCK_ , Lup! Not cool!" He removed the earring, rubbing the tender spot Lup had created. "What's your fucking deal lately?"

Lup closed her eyes, deciding this was a good time to bring up her newest concern. "You're being an idiot."

"Those are fighting words to someone who has access to scissors and is sitting  _directly behind you."_

Lup scoffed. She turned around to face her brother. "You really don't get it, do you?"

Hands on his hips, Taako rolled his eyes. "You  _have_ to be more specific."

"Kravitz said he loved you and you blew him off?"

"Oh." His expression softened. When was the last time Lup saw her brother go soft? Kravitz was doing things to her brother, and...it wasn't the worst thing in the world. Taako could stand to open up. It didn't take long for Taako to get back on his bullshit, crossing his arms. "C'mon, Lup, don't get involved. It's really not a big deal."

Lup did a hit on her brother. 40% power. She laughed when she heard him wail in mock pain. "It is! I need details, now. Where did this all come from?"

"I don't need to explain myself to the lich who ratted me out the  _second_ she left her umbrella prison!" Taako rubbed his arm, grimacing.

"Hmmm, I thought you were telling people." She snickered. Her finger tapped his nose. "I mean, you were so  _attached_ to the guy after just five dates..."

Red-faced, Taako pushed her hands away. Great. His sister embarrassed him so hard, his heart started beating. "You listened to all that?"

"Wasn't trying to eavesdrop. I liked listening to your voice whenever I could."

The twins exchanged sullen looks. They both come to a silent conclusion that it was too soon to talk about the umbrella years.

Lup's voice comes back, softer and quiet. "How long has he been saying this to you?"

He covered his mouth with his hand, avoiding eye contact. The answer left him guilty. "Fifty-eight times--uh, the first time was on the sapphire circle."

She sat there, slack-jawed. Lup blinked, started to say a few things, but eventually ended up at, "You've  _COUNTED????"_ And she was smiling. Because this meant Taako cared about those words. Cared enough to catalog them.

It had been a long time since he cared.

Taako grabbed the earring from earlier and hooked it through his piercing. "Ye-ah? It's not a big deal, it's a number." Aaaand Lup went back to anger. Why was he playing this off so casually?

"So you're telling me that he's told you he loves you..." Lup paused to do the math in her head, and she almost screamed when she calculated it all out. "At  _LEAST_ twice a week, for  _four months,_ and the most you've been able to say back is  _YEAH?_ "

"Yeah."

Lup felt like pulling all the hair out of her head.

"Taako, why haven't you said it back yet? Are you stringing him along because he's hot, or are you just  _dense?_ "

"Fuck you, I'm not talking to my sister about intimate boyfriend details," Taako said, his shoulders rising to his ears. Sensitive subject. "I actually have some common fucking decency, it's too weird to get in depth over this shit with blood relatives."

"Don't tempt me. I'll bring Barry in here."

"That's even worse!" He threw up his hands in annoyance. "Barry would just tell me to make googly eyes at Kravitz until something happened."

"You already make googly eyes at Kravitz," she said, raising both eyebrows.

"I  _don't!"_

"You absolutely do." Lup let out a breath. If she teased too much, he might not give her a real answer. "Listen, I'm just curious. Are you serious about him?"

"I'm seriously gonna ride hi--nope, nope, I can't even fucking mention that in front of you. How do you do that shit to me with a straight face?"

Lup did another hit. 60% power. She had no sympathy for his wail of pain this time. "Taako, cut it out! This is really important."

"What the fuck do you want me to say, Lup? I'm not madly in love with the guy or anything." He hit her arm in revenge, not doing much damage.

She remembered being carried back to Taako's moonbase dorm after his early dates with Kravitz. She remembered him pressing a pillow to his forehead, dead into the night. She knew he was thinking about him. If she knew how attached he was going to get, she might not have fired at Kravitz on date one. "I'm not so sure about that."

"Don't project you and Barry onto my relationship." Taako picked up the pins that had been dropped on the floor almost ten minutes ago. "He's way more into me than I'm into him."

Lup wasn't projecting. She saw similarities between her relationship and his, but the way Kravitz and Taako operated were worlds different. They were in an earlier stage. Feelings were still new. Taako was less trusting of people than she was; a relic left over from their days on the streets, and then strengthened after his decade alone. But despite that, he still spilled out the truth in front of Kravitz like a flood, hardly aware he was even doing it. "If you weren't serious, you would have dropped him the first time he told you he loved you."

Taako opened his mouth like he was about to say something, then grumbled unintelligibly. He pulled at Lup's hair.

"Ow! Fuck!" Lup scowled, getting out of her seat and reaching for her battlewagon mask. "Ugh, fine. Talk to me about it when you're not going to be a brat."

"I won't."

Because, the problem was, once he talked to Lup about it? Then it's serious. He was trying to keep it from being serious. But at the same time, Taako would turn around and think extremely serious thoughts while lying in his boyfriend's arms. The future. Their  _(?)_ future. Did Taako want to pursue Kravitz seriously? He already was, sort of. He's not just Taako from T.V. anymore--he was Taako and Kravitz.  _Who's coming to dinner tonight? Taako and Kravitz._  The two were such an item at this point, it was weird for them to come alone to events anymore. Taako was okay with it. Didn't say he wanted it out loud, but he definitely wanted it. Even more so now that he saw his sister and her perfect match paraded right in front of him, and that the two of them just let Kravitz into the family space without any resistance. He didn't expect to  _want_ to be tied down, but here he was. Head over heels for this guy without the courage to vocalize it properly (and instead, opting to insist that it wasn't A Thing).

He could only kiss Kravitz and hope the message got across.

(It didn't.)

* * *

Their battlewagon was borrowed _(stolen)_   from the Hammerhead's hideout. Good to know that Barry and Kravitz could wreck shit if needed. Both twins took mental note of this. Lup and Barry decorated the thing with bones and rotting fabric. It looked like something out of a necromancer's garage, a fact that earned the two an argument from the living reaper.

Sitting on the battlewagon were two figures. One sat near the back, holding a mending wrench similar to the one Merle used in their first race. The top half of his face was obscured by an oversized fake vulture skull, with the lower half covered by a veil of denim. The second figure was sitting behind the wheel. His face was covered not by a mask, but by a low-level enchantment--a cloud of peppered fog surrounded his head, so that it looked like he had been erased by Fischer.

Not Kraviz' usual aesthetic, but Barry cast it at the last minute because neither of them could think of anything good.

Two more racers approached the same wagon--identical in height and build, clothes and hair styled in mirror images. One was dressed in all cool colors, and the other in warm colors. The warm one, red and orange, wore a sun shaped mask. The cool one, mostly in blue and purple, covered their face with moon shaped mask. The shape of the crescent mask allowed a section of their face to show, but it was covered enough to hide identity.  _Like that even mattered at this point._

Everyone in the audience would know who they were. It wasn't even a question.

But being an interplanar celebrity has some advantages. The militia decided to look the other way, because the race was just...electric. The second the horn sounded off, the  _Death Fuckers_ (a name Lup insisted on) sailed through dust and cars up to the front. With a synchronized double blast of fire from the masked wizards, most of the wagons trailing behind them were immediately kicked out of the race. Six horns blew, signaling that six racers were already out.

The cheers roared out from the stands like thunder.

Downside of being an interplanar celebrity in a high-stakes violent battlewagon race? Every single racer was after their car. A couple wagons that dodged the fire came up to ride directly on either side of the Death Fuckers. A halfling in a goat mask jumped their car and tried to ram a pole into the exposed part of Taako's face. Admittedly, he wasn't too great at close-quarters combat, and Lup was occupied shooting at another car, so Taako shot out a beam of ice right into the halfling's face. The halfling cried out in pain, allowing Barry to cut in and knock them down on their ass.

Kravitz took the wheel of the wagon and turned it in a full arc, ramming their wagon into one of the racers. The goat-masked halfing fell off the wagon, run over by a car in fifth place. Barry scrambled to the side of the wagon, checking for damage.

"Sweet!" Taako took an unneeded breath. He gripped the back of the driver's seat. A horn blasted in the background, so it looked like they wouldn't be seeing that halfling again. "Thank you, handsome!"

Barry scrambled over to the middle of the wagon and clonked Taako in the arm with the mending wrench. "I don't get any credit for that?"

Lup burst out in laughter, doubling over. "Don't be angry, Barry, Taako's _very distracted."_

"Shut up and _focus_ , Lup!"

"I could say the same thing to yo--" Lup was cut off, an arrow laced with electricity buzzing past her head. All three of them turned to look behind the wagon.

Trailing directly behind them was a group of racers dressed as lightning bugs, electricity crackling and climbing all over their wagon. They must have been a popular team, because the whoops and cheers from the crowd turned up to deafening levels as they approached the Death Fuckers.

Lup cracked her knuckles and jumped onto the electricity car without hesitation. Taako went to rush after her, but Barry caught him by the collar. They needed to keep one person defending on the wagon at all times. She was in her element on that wagon. Fighting, hollering, enjoying herself. Taako noticed how closely Barry watched, but couldn't tell if it was out of worry or excitement. Could have been pride.

With all the work she did to keep the lightning bugs off their trail, Barry and Taako's jobs became a lot more calm. Taako had to deflect and protect against errant lightning (and fire, damn it Lup) bolts that threatened to hit the wagon. Barry had time to do a thorough check for damage. The wagon was making good time otherwise, and Kravitz wasn't having much trouble as a driver.

He stole glances from the corners of his mask. Kravitz had his sleeves rolled up, gripping the wheel eagerly and weaving the battlewagon through the track with a sense of graceful precision. His face was obscured by fog, but Taako could tell by little outbursts of joyful cries and hollers that Kravitz was smiling. Normally he was such a professional, put-together man. A little quiet. But seeing him like this--it reminded Taako that yes, Kravitz was just as off-kilter as the rest of them. Reminded him of the absolute  _bananas_ way he spoke to them while collecting the Philosopher's stone. His dead heart flipped inside his chest.

Taako wanted nothing more than to scoop him up and kiss him.

"Watch it!" Lup yelled, jumping back to their car and neutralizing a bolt of lightning that was headed straight for Taako. His vision snapped to his sister. Good thing he was wearing a mask. "I'm loving this boyfriend drama, okay, but you  _gotta_ stay focused."

"I wasn't--" Taako started, but had to deflect a blow away from Barry.

"You _were!"_   Lup's voice was cut with laughter. Behind the mask, she had a glint in her eye that said she really wanted to talk about this later.

Much later, because this race took a lot of focus to get through. The driver of the lightning bug car stood up, foot steering the wheel, and raised a metal staff in the air. They sent a spark-filled current towards the Death Fuckers' wagon, hitting Taako square in the back. He flew forward, his chest hitting the side of the driver's seat. His masked face was inches from Kravitz' fogged head.

Even though he couldn't see Kravitz' face, the moment left Taako dumbstruck.

"Are you  _okay?"_ The space where Kravitz' eyes would be were still glued to the road, but his body leaned in toward Taako in a concerned manner.

"Mmmmhgh," he spat out, a groan of approval that came out sounding like a squeak. It was a good thing Kravitz wasn't actually watching him; the small portion of his face that wasn't covered showed off an expression that Taako didn't normally wear. Wide-eyed, eyebrows knit, ears down, brain swimming in oxytocin. The brush of electricity put a little thump in his heart, his face tinted pink. Even though he tried fighting against it, the conversation with his sister made him realize one important fact: Taako had it _bad._

He swore he could hear Lup _losing it_ behind him.

"Taako?" Kravitz sounded more concerned now.

He snapped out of that doe-eyed expression, hoped Kravitz didn't see it. "Yeah, if I was living it would be  _kind of a nightmare,_  but it was just a little shock." As he spoke, he was able to put back on some of those layers of arrogance. "Keep goin', gorgeous, we're getting close!"

And, just as a reminder that this relationship wasn't that serious, Taako pressed a kiss into the crook of his boyfriend's neck. See, Lup? He was only dating Kravitz for his looks, and his cool-ass powers, and the sex, and it _wasn't serious._

What a lie.

The lightning bug wagon was to their left, and it seemed like Kravitz had half a mind to ram their wagon into the side again. Instead, Taako sent a supercharged magic missile towards the other wagon.

The driver sent off a flash of light, and the magic missiles turned around to come straight for the Death Fuckers.

A burst of force hit Taako. Knocked off the back of the wagon by his own magic missile. His body was pushed upwards, the wind kicking him far away from the wagon.

"Damn it," Taako cursed, softly, as if it was just a minor inconvenience. Although, it was more than that; in this race, he didn't have one of those harnesses that inflated into a bubble on ground impact. He heard a horn blasting, and assumed the lightning car had been destroyed. A breeze of magic flew over him. Someone from his car cast featherfall, but he wasn't sure who. Either way, he was sailing peacefully through the air, backwards, watching as wagons flew past him.

Until a hand raised up and pulled him by the collar down into another car.

This wagon was not made of metal. Its wheels were not turning. Instead, this wagon was...crawling? Made of only plant fibers and flowers, the wagon pushed itself through the ground with magic. Soulwood, ivy vines, cherry blossoms, and... _silverpoint_? Taako turned his head to see who caught him.

Two figures; one small and squat, one long and elegant. Druids. One with a ram's mask, one with a raven's mask. _Nobody's actually hiding their identity anymore, are they?_ Both were happily chatting over Taako, barely paying attention to the road. Hurley said _something something,_ blah blah, _where the fuck's your mongoose mask,_ while Sloane mumbled some kind of apology? Taako was only half-listening, but the two were cooing over each other so much they didn't notice.

Kind of put a flip in his stomach to see two more people so _sickeningly_ in love.

"Hey, any chance the two of you could help me get back to my wagon up there?"

"Oh, hell no," Hurley said, smiles in her voice, "You've just been shanghaied, bucko."

"You're helping us win this race," Sloane said. It wasn't a question.

"Nice." Taako tapped his mask, morphing it into the classic mongoose style.

The wagon picked up to a speed Taako wasn't expecting a ball of plants could reach. He held onto a railing made of soulwood (he took _great care_ to not touch any silverpoint) and shot out some spells to the wagons they passed. The crowd's cheers roared out louder than ever. Horns called out every time they passed a car--Taako picked off any wagons in sight.

Sloane and Hurley's plant wagon pulled up next to the Death Fuckers, and all three in the plant wagon waved as they passed. Lup, Barry, and Kravitz waved back politely until they realized that Sloane and Hurley weren't giving Taako back. As they sped off, they heard screams from the Death Fuckers' wagon.

_"FUCK YOU, TRAITOR!"_

"Get back over here--we're almost there!"

"Taako, dear, we need you over here!"

Both wagons were close to the finish line. Even with all of the plant wagon's speed, the Death Fuckers were still running up close. Neither Taako nor Lup wanted to fire shots, as a misfire would be deadly and a damper to the vacation, but they were shooting off celebratory sparks off in each other's direction. Both cars switched to be in first place, weaving beside each other. 

As the finish line came into sight, Taako felt a hand on his shirt collar again.

He was thrown back onto the Death Fucker's wagon.

Sloane and Hurley crossed the line without him.

Taako swore he saw Sloane sticking her tongue out at him. 

The Death Fuckers, disappointed, crossed the line second. The crowd was cheering for Sloane and Hurley, the resident winners of every battlewagon race now. Apparently they did this every time; come out of the ground halfway through the race and overtake whoever was in first. Taako just made it easier for them to win. Kravitz drove the wagon out of the racing zone, parking it out by Goldcliff's outskirts. Lup stormed out of the wagon, grumbling to herself as Barry tried to calm her down.

Kravitz dropped the fog charm, climbing out of the driver's seat to help Taako to his feet. "Don't scare me like that!"

"It's not like I can die, Krav, what are you worried about?" Taako took off his mask and let his hair down.

"If--if you had gotten too damaged, I don't know if--" Kravitz fiddled with his sleeves, rolling them back down. His eyes were glued to the ground. "Usually a reaper just turns back into a soul and gets sent back to the Astral plane, but I'm not sure if that's what would happen to you. I'm--Taako, I love you, I don't think it's unreasonable of me to be worried, we don't...we don't know how this switch all works out."

Fifty-nine.  

Hearing it weaved into a normal sentence felt so organic.

This was the first time he consciously wanted to hear more. He used to roll his eyes when Barry interjected it into conversations whenever he could. But when Kravitz said it, it sounded like the words were made for his voice. No longer was Taako just tolerating hearing it (although, in retrospect, he wanted to hear it before--this only marked the first time he admitted this fact to himself). He still wasn't ready to say it. Wasn't ready to tell Lup about it.

But _wow_ , did he want to hear it again.

"Taako?" Kravitz watched him, concerned.

"I'm good!" His voice came out more nervous than intended. "I'm good."

Taako grabbed Kravitz' face in his hands, kissing him before he could ask what _that_ was all about. A chorus of  _awwws_ from outside the car, which Taako responded to with a glare. 

Hurley and Sloane showed up a couple minutes later, and Taako was able to more formally introduce them to his family. Lup's rage over losing quickly turned to curiosity and excitement. Taako insisted that she's  _technically_ met the pair before. Even so, the three bonded for a while over poor impulse control and danger while the boys laughed off the tension from the race. It ended up being a great afternoon of catching up and fucking around Goldcliff, taking every opportunity to freak out the locals with druidic girlfriends and an undead wizard. 

_Pretty good for a first trip,_ Lup thought. But she had plans to top it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These chapter lengths keep getting out of hand, whoops! I had too much fun writing the battlewagon race. Had to put the girls in here because I'm love them.


	6. In Neverwinter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Breakfast at noon. Taako gets a late delivery. Barry rolls for bond.

After saving the world, the Starblaster crew didn't have a permanent place to call home. At least, not immediately. Sure, the ship was there, but only Davenport was really comfortable with being so detached. The moonbase was Lucretia's pad, and since Taako was adamant about never going there again, Lup didn't visit much either. So the seven of them each had equal ownership of a large house in Neverwinter that anyone could use while finding a permanent residence. Of course, old Bureau members and friends were allowed in as well. Angus stayed in the home in during school breaks, Ren found it useful for business, and Carey and Killian found it to be a great place to hang. But this house was most well-used during Kravitz' vacation, because the twins and their boyfriends needed a good place to stay in between Lup's crazed plans.

Kravitz woke up alone, to the sound of shouting and laughter from another room. Couldn't pick out any specific words, but he knew the voices. He felt groggy, not yet used to sleeping out of necessity. It took so much energy not to fall right back asleep. How was the bed so warm without Taako in it?

Oh, right. He wasn't dead right now.

But he sure _felt_   like a dead man walking on his way to the kitchen, still having trouble keeping awake. Why was it so difficult to keep his eyes open? How long was he asleep? As he shuffled into the kitchen, he smelled eggs and cinnamon and heard bickering.

"Then they'd just be wolves all the time, _dumbass!"_

"No, only during a full moon."

Lup and Taako's voices, of course. The four of them were alone in this house for the time being.

Lup slammed an empty baking sheet into the sink, her nose all up in her brother's face and her volume too loud for Kravitz' waking ears. "But if they're _on_ the moon, it's _always_ a full moon!"

Taako came back with an even louder volume, soaking the pan in water. "They only turn into wolves when it's a full moon on the planet they were _BORN_   on!"

"What if they were bitten on the moon?" Lup groaned, hands on hips.

Taako threw a dishtowel at Barry, who sat at a small breakfast nook. " _BAROLD,_ tiebreaker. Now."

Barry took a bite out of toast--no? It was just plain bread. "Lup's right."

" _Fu-u-U-UCK_ you, Barry!"

"You're the one that _called_ for a tiebreaker!" Lup flipped the oven door open with a flourish. She turned her head, noticing Kravitz had walked in. "Bone boy, do you think a werewolf on the moon would always be a wolf, or would they still only turn to wolves during full moon?"

"Uh." Kravitz blinked, unsure. "They would always be wolves, I guess?"

Lup's lips turned upwards into a smile that was smugger than Kravitz thought was physically possible. "See, Taako, even _your_ boyfriend agrees with me!"

"Traitor," Taako said, but his hands were on Kravitz' shoulders and their lips pressed together. The cold jolted Kravitz awake. Well, mostly. The knowing glares from Barry and Lup woke him up more. Good thing Taako was facing away from the two of them, else he might pitch a fit over it all.

"What time is it?" Kravitz asked with a yawn.

"Noon," Lup said, drawing out the word to be at least four syllables.

Embarrassed that he slept in so late, Kravitz pointed to the oven, changing the subject by commenting on its contents. "But you're making breakfast?"

"Breakfast is a social construct," Taako answered, draping himself against Kravitz' back. The cold really did help wake him up. "And you weren't awake for breakfast, didn't want you to miss out."

Barry called out from his seat, "How're you feeling?"

"That's a puzzle, isn't it?" Kravitz laughed. He stared at the ceiling, sorting through the possibilities. "Well...I think I'm fine? There's a pinching feeling in my stomach. Pretty sure I'm just hungry, though, it's not anything worth worrying about."

" _Beautiful_ , Krav, you're taking this so well!" Taako grinned, shoving a plate of eggs and cinnamon toast into Kravitz' arms.

"O-oh, um. Thank you." He sat down next to Barry.

"So, Lup!" Taako clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "What's the plan now?"

"Well, I uh. Honestly, some of that new-body exhaustion is catching up to me, so I think I need a week or so before we go out again. But I do have plans. First," Lup said, with stars and fire in her eyes, "I wanna steal from some rich bitches."

_"PERFECT."_

She clicked her tongue, frowning. "Oh, but I don't know where all the rich people hang out in this realm."

"I know where we could go," Kravitz chimed in, before shoving a forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"Hit me." Lup rolled her shoulders. "With your words, because if you touch me I'll kill you."

The disaster that he was, Kravitz tried talking with his mouth full. It didn't work, but he was too hungry to be polite. "I've only been there once, when some duke wanted to resurrect his wife and hired a red-level necromancer to do the deed. Place called Sapphire Falls."

"I did a show there once. Absolutely disgusting." Taako waved a hand in the air dismissively. "Lup, you'd hate it."

"I'm sorry, I thought--"

Both twins erupted in laughter. Lup hit Kravitz in the arm. "No, Ghost Rider, that's a _good thing._ Shit, if I'm gonna con someone, they've got to deserve it." She walked over to turn the oven off. "So....give me two weeks, Barry can book us a train out to Sapphire Falls, we'll pull some cons, do some swindling, and bounce before anyone can recognize us."

Taako and Barry seemed content with that. Kravitz nodded along in agreement. The twins went back into their dumb werewolf argument soon after, which Kravitz promptly tuned out. Something about werewolves on the moon base? Does the moon base count as a real moon, and if so, which moon affects werewolf transformations?

It wasn't long into the conversation before the two were interrupted. A package wrapped in black paper and silver twine conjured itself in thin air and fell into Taako's hands with a gentle slap.

**_BHRD REQUIREMENT 1498-IBC INSTRUCTION GUIDE_ **

**_CONGRATULATIONS_ ** _! You have been selected to fill a **Quota** for the **Bounty Hunter's Resource Department!** Whether you have been led to this by chance or by choice, all information you need will be found in this **DEAD-ucational** instruction pamphlet!_

Kravitz got up from his seat, placing his finished plate in the sink. "Are you kidding? They were supposed to send this a week ago!"

"The resource department really _does_ have it out for you." Taako turned the pamphlet (not even; it was at least three hundred pages) over in his hands. "Do you need to read it?"

"I don't think so? Maybe I'll skim it to see if there's anything we desperately need to know, but--" Kravitz sighed, handing the pamphlet over to Barry. He took it eagerly. "You're doing a very good job of helping me adjust. And you're taking to death better than I thought you would, but. Um. You can read it if you want."

"I might." Taako shrugged. His face turned pink; didn't make much sense, why would he have a pulse right now? "I might just ask you instead, though."

"I'm not very good at explaining things, but I can try."

Instead of an answer or a witty quip, Taako settled on giving him a simple kiss on the cheek. More tame than his usual fare, but honestly? Felt great.

"You two are gross." Lup groaned. She sat herself next to Barry while the other two were talking. "Do you two have to do this in front of my delicate boyfriend?"

Taako shook his head. He pointed accusatory fingers at Lup and Barry. "Delicate? First time Lup went lich form I heard you two rooms over trying to recreate that scene in Fantasy Ghostbusters where a ghost sucked that thug's dick."

Barry choked on his drink. "You _HEARD THAT?"_

"We _all_ heard that, Barold. You're not subtle. Learn how to cast Silence for once in your fucking life, save me some trauma." Taako cackled, hitting Kravitz on the back.

Kravitz wasn't entirely prepared to hear so much about Lup and Barry's relationship, but it was just another unexpected side effect of being dragged into this family. As Taako, Barry, and Lup screamed over an ill-advised lich-fucking session, Kravitz couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

Somehow, Barry had convinced Taako to let him study the effects of being undead.

It actually didn't take much convincing. Taako was just as curious as Barry was, and he'd been shut off from his scientific curiosity for years. Doing self-experiments in a hastily thrown-together lab Barry put in the basement was a strange delight. And even as _weird_ as Barry was, he was gentle enough when prodding at Taako. If anything, it was more of a conversation about being undead than the mad-scientist vials and medicines that a normal person would picture. The BHRD instruction manual sat in between them at the table, which Barry would read and reference every few minutes.

"Here," Taako said, handing a thermometer to Barry.

Barry checked it. "Damn, are you sure you measured this right?"

"You saw me do it, Barold." He stuck his tongue out. "I know I'm freezing. That's not something we had to measure. C'mon, what's next?"

"Still temperature, keep that thing in your mouth." Barry walked up to Taako's seat, sticking the thermometer back in. He grabbed a stethoscope from Merle's pile of things and put it on. "I need to check if this is conditional."

"On _what?"_   Taako's eyes narrowed. This felt like it was going somewhere he wasn't prepared for. Barry slid the stethoscope's drum under Taako's shirt, making him snort in laughter. "It doesn't beat, homie, I could have told you that."

"I have to get a baseline first," Barry said, writing something down with his free hand. "Just, I don't know. Talk to me, about anything, I really don't care."

"Oooh, finally, I get to give you an intervention!" Taako flipped through the BHRD manual. "You've got all the answers in this book now, what's with this basement interrogation?"

"You want me to be honest about that?"

"Why else would I ask, dumbass?"

Barry paused, stethoscope in ear, and then shrugged. "I guess learning whatever I can about being undead helps me feel better. I did a lot of studying before turning into a lich, too." 

"Better?"

"I'm nervous about dying. You know, for real. And forever." Barry tapped his fingers on the table. "I know I've died--ugh, I don't even remember the number. Too many times. And I know I, uh, got a little reckless during the mission? Even afterwards, I mean, I had a  _tube_ to get  _extra chances._ So I guess. Uh. Having it be permanent this time, is. Unsettling? I've gotten so used to liching out, too, so...keeping my body seems weird. I'll be fine, I mean--fuck, I'll have Lup with me, it's just--I like to have all the information." 

"Oh." Taako fiddled with his thumbs. Fuck, why was Barry able to say shit like that so clearly? "I mean--uh, it doesn't hurt? So I think you'll be fine."

"Is it strange to just..." Barry gestured towards Taako, raising his brows. "Y'know, uh. Not have things working?"

"I guess? I'm already kind of used to it." Taako rubbed his thumb in his palm. He took in a shallow breath, but stopped halfway through. "Actually, a lot of it is  _easier_ than living? Does that make sense? Like, fuck, I'm not looking forward to kicking it in six hundred years or so, but it's nice to know that it's not, like, hard."

"That does help. Thank you." Barry smiled and wrote down a few things. 

"Is that it, then?" Taako removed the thermometer, but Barry plucked it back into his mouth.

"Talk to me about your boyfriend."

Taako sputtered.

Barry, chin resting on his hand, grinned at Taako. "Just a little bit, come on."

"Did Lup set you up for this?"

"No." Barry snort-laughed. "But I've spoken to Kravitz alone a couple of times, and I'm curious."

Shit. Shit, shit shit--Taako could feel his heart beating just from _hearing_ the name. "He said something?"

"Once again, no." If Barry noticed the thumping, he didn't comment on it. He was very involved in getting this information out. "Come on, Taako, think of it as payback."

"Payback."

"You helped me out when I was stuck on Lup, and now you get to cash in some sweet Barry advice."

Taako scoffed. "I'm not about to get relationship advice from a nerd."

"I've been with Lup for sixty years, you don't think I have some good advice?" His eyes dropped over his glasses, staring at Taako directly, without the filter of glass.

Something about the way Barry looked at him made Taako break a little. "I--fuck, it's. It's not. I'm not. It's just-- _shit_." Taako dropped his head in his hands. "My head's still fucked up from Fischer. That's it."

"That can't be it." Barry leaned in inches from Taako's face, stone-faced, and spoke in a monotone, even voice, _"I rolled an eleven, Taako."_

"I'm not the one that's supposed to be nervous--" Taako stopped. He realized his thoughts were slipping out. After a moment, he figured it might not be the worst thing in the world to talk to Barry about this. "It used to be easy to talk to him. Like, I was the one that flustered _him._ And--fuck, I don't know why it changed all of a sudden."

"Taako, I'm pretty sure you're--"

"Don't say it, Barry."

"Fine." Barry snickered. He wrote something down. Was he counting the heartbeats? "But you--you're aware that you very obviously are, right?"

"I don't have any idea what you mean, Barold, you'll have to be more specific."

"How you're in--"

Taako hit the table. " _BARRY_. I told you not to say it."

"You must think you're _so_   funny." Barry rolled his eyes. "What do _you_ think it is?"

"My brain's probably gone all rigor mortis from the death shit. I'll be better once I'm living again."

Barry watched him, jaw agape. "Do you--do you know what rigor mortis is?"

"Not at all, m'dude."

An annoyed groan from Barry. "Listen--Taako, you're going through something very normal. When you date the same person for long enough, your feelings about them will shift over time. There are a few stages of this as you start to settle into something long-term." Barry drew a little diagram on his paper. "You saw Lup doing it. Remember, there was that time we were both inseparable, and then we slowly settled into something healthy and normal. Or as normal as it gets with two liches."

Barry's explanation swirled around in Taako's mind. It was less disorientating than being yelled at by his sister, at least. "Are you trying to explain my relationship with science?"

"Is it working?"

"Maybe. It's better than having to talk about my _feelings_ or some hippy shit like that." Taako shifted his eyes down towards Barry's paper. "Doesn't make much sense, though, because I didn't do that fucking gooey pining thing."

"You're doing it now."

"Yeah, and it blows a hole right through your shitty relationship timeline."

"No, listen--I'm saying, now that Lup and all your memories are back and you're safe, I think your brain is...catching up? Or, maybe you're just _letting_ it happen now, unobstructed. I'm not sure which." He scanned Taako's face, relieved that he hadn't told him to fuck off or stop yet. "Everyone does this differently. Either way, uh. You should be feeling fine sooner or later."

"I'm feeling fine now," Taako said, words falling out of his mouth without any regards to his brand, "It feels fine."

"That's a good thing. I didn't think I'd ever see you like this, Taako." Barry laughed. "I noticed you were staring pretty hard during the battlewagon race."

"Whatever, Barry, nice talk, but are we done?"

Barry took out the thermometer, checking it. "Yeah. Your heart's been beating since I brought Kravitz up, and your temperature is about ten degrees higher than it was before."

Taako's face burned even brighter. 

"Hey, Barry?"

"Yeah?"

No going back now. "If--okay, shit, if it's _normal_ for things to change, then...uh, what if it doesn't--do you think it'll change in the _wrong_ ways and Kravitz will get bored and leave?"

"From what I've heard from him and seen, I don't think you have to worry about that at all," he said, eyes off Taako and brain in his notes. "And if I'm wrong, I'll use every necromancy spell possible to raise hell and mark vengeance on you."

"Hell yeah," he said, laughing, even though the very _thought_ of Barry being wrong about him and Kravitz made Taako shake in his boots. "So, wait. Is that it?"

"Yeah."

"Was this a ruse to get me alone and talking about Kravitz?"

A grin that wasn't even a little guilty. "You know it."

"Fuck you, Barry."

Barry only hummed in response, his mind drifting over to Lup. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You might laugh over the werewolf thing, but werewolf debates have ruined my life. (I'm not telling you what side I'm on because I don't want to be a social outcast)  
> Happy New Year, everyone! Hopefully our world isn't swallowed by an evil motivational speaker.


	7. Fun on a Train

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Kravitz pull some sick train stunts. Lup has a plan.

Sapphire Falls was just as disgusting as Taako remembered.

He could tell that just from watching the skyline from the train. It was four in the morning and the whole place was lit up like it was daytime. Bright colors, too. Oranges and pinks and seafoam greens, the color of fresh caught salmon lightly drizzled with three types of berry juices. The buildings were new, created with newer, cutting-edge ( _expensive)_ materials. Some buildings threatened to cut the sky in half, touching the clouds. Disgusting architecture. Worst part? It was the exact kind of disgusting that Taako loved. He had only spent three days in the city when Sizzle it Up! rolled through (and honestly he was so busy he didn't have time to take it all in) but just from watching the scenery roll by he was enamored.

Except for the people that lived there, they could all go fuck themselves.

Old money. Taako and Lup both hated old money. At least new money people could claim that they worked hard for their riches (usually they didn't), but old money people just. Had money their whole lives. Didn't know what necessity was. These were the kinds of people that Taako shined shoes for while Lup rooted through their pockets. And even if Taako didn't spend an extended amount of time in Sapphire Falls before, he just _knew_. He could tell a lot by how his audience acted towards him, and these people treated him like he was some kind of servant boy instead of a world-class performer. And this wasn't even when he was first starting out--this was well into his fourth year of rolling around with Sazed. That's when Taako was _big time._ Of course, these rich assholes only wanted the best.

They'd probably get it more often if they weren't so insufferable.

Taako stepped back from the window, sitting himself on the edge of the sleeper car's bed. Everyone else in the car was asleep. Taako, being dead, couldn't ever get a full night's sleep in. He resigned himself to watch over his family and boyfriend. Barry and Lup tangled together, and Kravitz shuffled away as far as the bed would allow. Poor guy was still nervous around the family, it seemed. Still, the whole thing was...peaceful. Something comforting about all his favorite people in one spot.

So yes, he was worried when he watched Kravitz bolt upright into a sitting position, no warning.

For a couple moments, Kravitz sat there, wide-eyed and breathing frantically. And--look, no matter how well the three were getting along, it was normal to for him to be a _little_ disorientated after waking up next to his boyfriend's twin sister and her partner. Although, something about how he put his head in his hands clued Taako in to the idea that Kravitz' strange sleeping situation was the least of his problems right now.

Taako spoke in a low whisper. "You alright there, Krav?"

Kravitz' head snapped to Taako's direction. His expression and posture softened slightly after seeing Taako, but he still seemed deeply unsettled by something. "I--oh. It wasn't--it wasn't real." He took in a sharp breath. "Good."

"What happened?" Taako scooted farther in on the bed, taking care not to wake his sister or brother-in-law. He got close enough for Kravitz to touch or hug him, but didn't do anything himself; decided to leave it open for Kravitz to decide.

Kravitz took a hand, worrying his thumb into Taako's palm. "I. Uh." His eyes squinted as he tried to figure out what exactly happened. "It was a dream."

Taako laid another hand over the two that were intertwined. "Good or bad?"

"Bad," he said, no hesitation. Was he sweating?

"Nightmare, babe." Taako brushed his fingers along the back of Kravitz' hand. "Are you okay? Shit, do you--do you need to talk about it?"

"N-no. No, I don't want to." Kravitz moved closer, now lucid enough to seek comfort. His eyes kept flicking over to Lup and Barry, still asleep. "I'm not--I don't usually dream, so..."

"Let's get you some fresh air," he whispered, gently pulling Kravitz on the arm to get him out of bed. 

Good thing that no other passengers were awake on the train; Taako and Kravitz were just so _out of place_ in the compartment hall. Walking around a fancy rich-people train in sleep clothes was supposed to be Barry's job, not Taako and his empirically handsome boyfriend. Kravitz kept a tight grip on Taako's hand, never more than two steps behind him. Still groggy and disorientated, maybe a little on edge. The two walked towards the back of the sleeper car--and thankfully none of the staff was hanging around either, because Taako was about to do something _delightfully stupid._

He swung open the door leading outside the sleeper car. As the two stepped outside, the roar of wind passing by their ears and the jolt of cold air sure seemed to snap Kravitz out of any remaining sluggishness. Taako looked around--the door to the dining car stood about two feet from their faces, and there was this fancy-ass railing in between the cars so that they couldn't fall off, and a ladder--

A ladder.

Taako was halfway up the ladder before the thought even fully formed in his mind.

"Taako?" Kravitz looked up at Taako, and then down at the bars in front of him. He grabbed them, reluctantly, and started climbing after him. "Taako, where are you going?"

Taako swung himself up on the roof of the train, positioning himself so that the wind force couldn't knock him off. The air hit his face, and Taako had the idea that it _should_ be chilled, but it felt lukewarm. Damn his frozen blood. Although, with Kravitz making his way up the ladder, he felt that maybe he was about to get a little warmth back.

Kravitz' movements were shaky, blunt, and stumbling--still not totally used to the weight of living, Taako guessed. Couldn't blame him. Taako looked down at his own arms. He felt so unburdened and light as an undead construct. He moved his feet out of the way to allow Kravitz to climb the rest of the way onto the roof, but he couldn't grab on properly. Poor man must have failed his athletics check--his hands gripped the top of the roof, but with the cold air he slowly slipped backwards. The movement of the train threatened to kick him off, until--

Taako gripped Kravitz' arms, tight and steady. "Oof, hey, don't fall and bump that pretty face of yours!"

"Is this safe?" Kravitz held on with both hands, looking up towards Taako with equal parts worry and awe. And Taako looked back down at him almost the same way--found himself lost in his eyes in a way he _just hadn't done before,_ and frankly? He wasn't prepared for that.

It was nice.

"Psssh, I've done worse on a train. This is fine," Taako said, once he snapped out of it. He cast levitation on Kravitz before hoisting him up onto the roof. They were able to each hook a leg under a small rod of metal, and even though it wasn't safe, it wasn't like they were about to fall off. Neither one let go of each other once they were stable. Taako tried to ignore the way his hands tingled when Kravitz held them, but with the limited sensations death brought him, the tingling feeling was brought to center stage. Even with the beautiful scenery behind them, which Taako would usually be _so down_ for, he couldn't look away from Kravitz.

It felt like the world was passing by in slow motion.

Like everything came to a stop to watch the two of them.

Without thought, without intent, without a plan--Taako's hands firmly cupped Kravitz' face.

They stared at each other. Not romantically. This was the farthest from a loving stare either of them could manage. Taako looked like he just got his hands caught in a mousetrap. Kravitz' eyes were about to bug out of his skull. Both of them seemed to think that if they didn't move, the situation would just magic itself away. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Kravitz snorted and threw himself into a fit of laughter.

"So--I have a nightmare for the first time and you--" He wheezed, pulling Taako closer to him. "You bring me up to the roof of a train to _flirt_ with me?"

Taako smiled, guilt written all over his face. "Honest, I was trying to get you out of the stuffy car, but..." His face turned to the city their train was hurtling towards. He ran his thumbs over Kravitz' cheekbones. As he did often when he was alone with Kravitz, words started spilling out of his dumb mouth. "I saw the skyline, and as gross as that place is, it's beautiful, and it reminded me of how beautiful _you are,_ and without thinking I just sort of--"

He was interrupted by Kravitz laughing again. That laugh would be the real death of him.

_"What?"_

"It's so _different."_ He spoke in between the least graceful spasms of laughter that Taako had ever heard. "I'm so used to a limited amount of senses, and, uh, now that everything has to work for me to survive, it's--everything goes a lot faster when I'm around you. Does that make any sense?"

Taako failed to hide the deep concern lacing his voice. "Can you, uh. Be a little more specific?"

"Just, my heart and my stomach and the _breathing_ and--" Kravitz stopped. He blinked three times, slow to the point that it probably didn't count as blinking anymore. Like he was a computer that had to reset for updates. Another laugh, one that descended into madness and ended up with Kravitz' face in Taako's shoulder. "It's. It's a lot."

"Is it too much?" Yeah, yeah, no. No _shit_ it was too much. Great question.

"No! No, um. Yes? Yes, well, it was _at first,_ but." He dug his face out of Taako's shoulder, his face contorted in some confused smile. "Like everything with you, it's--surprising. But very good. I like this."

"Krav, you--you're freaking out. Not doing a good job of convincing me you're okay."

"I am! I'm good, I'm good, I'm--it feels nice? Does it make any sense if I say it's too much in a _good_ way?" His face was more animated, more _alive_ as he spiraled back down into another laughing fit. Seems that's all he was doing tonight. He stopped, bringing a hand up to his cheek. "My face hurts."

"Because you're giggling your brains out over _nothing."_ Taako pulled at Kravitz' cheeks, causing both of them to fall back into another fit. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

It was meant to be a joke and a tease. Kravitz took it literally--attacking Taako in a tight embrace that threatened to send them flying off the roof. It was fast. Frantic. Kravitz wasn't kidding about the speed; Taako could feel his heart beating faster than he'd ever felt it. Kravitz was operating in a different frequency now that he had been dragged back to the living world. Not bad. Oh, hell no, not bad.  _Good._ Every spot Kravitz touched became warm, burning, melting. Specifically in the face--those lips, those cheeks, even when their noses brushed together it felt like an electric current had just rolled through. Taako could feel his blood bubbling in his veins, and  _damn it,_ _the things this man does to him._

Kravitz pulled back for a breath. He leaned in for another, but stopped after seeing Taako's dumbstruck expression. His face lit up bright even under his dark skin. "I--right, that was some kind of joke, wasn't it? I just--I heard you say the word kiss and I realized I really wanted to. Do that. With you. Sorry if it wasn't--if you weren't--"

Taako took him back in for another one before he could babble on any more. He shifted his body to allow Kravitz to scoot in closer. His hands moved down his back, not as cold as they were moments ago, but still chilled. One found its way to Kravitz' thigh, squeezing it lightly. That earned him a hushed whine, his name called out in between breaths, and a hand on his ass. Taako considered how far they could feasibly get on top of a moving train. Could be a fun story later. A few more noises escaped from Kravitz' throat, like he was trying to speak. 

Okay, _fine._

When Taako pulled back to listen, he was face-to-face with a grinning, breathless Kravitz. _Oh, that was a good look on him._

"You--you were tryin' to say something?" Taako asked, wide-eyed and bewildered. 

Kravitz looked up and took a few breaths as he chose his words. He shook his head, deciding to go simple. "I love you."

Sixty.

And the laughter rolled back in.

"Wh-what's--seriously, what's all this about?"

"There isn't anything wrong, Taako, I'm _enjoying_ myself. I didn't ever think I'd be on top of a train in the middle of the night kissing a beautiful elf that I was _supposed_ to take into the Stockade, but," he paused, pressed his forehead to Taako's and snickered. "Here I am."

If Kravitz' eyes were open, he would have seen Taako _absolutely baffled._ He tried to squeak out some sarcastic comment or tease, but. No, that was too sweet. He waited for Kravitz to continue. 

"You take me places I would have never dared to go otherwise, and I'm thankful for that."

His voice was low and sincere and _frightening,_ at least to Taako, and on any other day? Taako would make up some bullshit excuse, or deflect the conversation away from something so tender.

But. _But._

That handsome face and moment of emotional vulnerability deserved a better response.

A response that Taako was still too cagey and afraid to give, even though it was _three fucking words._ So he opted for something easier, with fewer words and more lips. Lots more lips. Like, an _insane_ amount. He didn't know how long he was kissing Kravitz for. Time passed by quickly with him. At the end he was lying with his back to the roof of a train with Kravitz hovering over him. Taako went in for another one, until--

"Are you two _making out on top of a moving train???"_

Lup's head poked up from the ladder, eyes furious and disbelieving. Kravitz looked like he was about to die again, right there. He started stammering out apologies, but Taako cut him off.

"You made out with Barold in a graveyard once, don't tell me how to live my life," he said, waving Lup away flippantly. 

"For someone who gets so _huffy_ when I even hint at doing anything past hand holding with my boyfriend, you _sure_ like to bring up the edge cases of my fucking sex life for moral bargaining!" Lup groaned, sliding herself down the ladder. She called out from below. "Whatever, just--get back down soon, I think we're almost there!"

"Whatever, whatever, thanks for the warning, Lulu." Taako huffed, sitting up and addressing Kravitz. "Embarrassed?"

"That was your  _sister,_ it would be weird if I wasn't embarrassed." 

"You've got a point." Taako pat Kravitz' back politely, kissing his cheek. "C'mon, let's get you back down... _Can_ you climb back down?"

"Uh." Kravitz looked over the edge, and then held Taako tighter. "Do you have enough slots to levitate me down there?"

* * *

 "Sooooooo, what's the plan?"

The four stood out in front of a combination billiards hall and seafood buffet, lit up brighter than the Candlenights bush that Lup set aflame in cycle twenty three. The place was seedier than a lot of the other Sapphire Falls establishments, but the twins insisted on starting with the skeevy places before moving on to the high-class black-tie establishments. A blaring neon sign that read SHRIMP HEAVEN hung above the door, accompanied by several sets of graffiti--all of them only one word: _WHEN?_

Lup grinned wildly as she laced her fingers together, a sharp crack popping from her knuckles. "Why don't we make a little wager, baby brother?"

Taako delivered a swift elbow to her arm, assuredly because of the _baby brother_ line. Although, seconds later he was laughing and playfully shaking her shoulder. "I'm listening."

She reciprocated by practically _shoving_ him side to side. Kravitz even had to look over at Barry to make sure this was all okay, to which he nodded. Apparently the twins were just that physical. Lup continued lowkey harassing her brother as she spoke. "Everyone in the universe knows our hustle strategies now-- _which is a shame because we had some good ones in there_ \--so it's not like you and I can go in together and wreck shop like usual."

"Oh." Taako stopped pushing his sister, disappointed. "Oh, shit, you're right."

"But," Lup said, flicking his ear.

"But?" He asked back, mirroring her actions.

Lup gestured over to Barry and Kravitz. "We've both got boyfriends that look harmless on the surface--but, let's face it. Barry, babe, you're insane. And bone boy, I _heard_ the shit you pulled in the tourmaline hellscape of Lucas' lab. They're both perfectly capable of pulling hustles with us."

"Everyone knows that you and Barry are an item, they'd know something was up. You'd lose automatically and, like, I'm all for that? But it's no fun for the sake of competition."

"I know." Lup stepped backwards, holding Kravitz firmly by the arm. "That's why I want to steal shoes with _your_ boyfriend."

Kravitz jumped--still kind of unsettling to be so close to Lup after being caught on top of the train with her brother. "Ah--"

Lup continued, stretching to grab Barry by the arm and fling him towards her brother. "And you can steal shoes with Barry. Whoever comes out with the most shoes wins."

Taako clasped his hand on Barry's shoulder. Barry seemed a little _too_ used to all this. "I'm in." He fixed his gaze back to his sister. "Any parameters?"

"As long as the shoes are won through gambling, anything's fine. Card games, pool, dice--"

Surprisingly, Barry raised his hand. "Is rigging allowed?"

Lup laughed, eyelids fluttering in Barry's direction. "Rigging is _encouraged,_ who do you take me for?"

Barry and Taako exchanged a look that was...unsettling. Taako raised his hand next. "How about sabotage?"

"I _just_   told you rigging was allowed."

"Not rigging. _Sabotage_ ," Taako corrected, drawing each syllable out like stretched taffy, "As in, if we see the two of you about to pull something off, can we....y'know--"

"You can sure _try."_ Lup clicked one of her heels into the pavement, harsh and intimidating. "But if you do, you're _in for it._ I'll stay civil if you will."

"Got it," Taako turned to whisper something into Barry's ear. Barry looked between Taako and Kravitz a few times, then whispered something back. Taako took a minute to really contemplate whatever Barry said, until he spoke up address Lup again. "You two go ahead in. I need twenty minutes prep time with Barold before we start anything."

Kravitz' jaw dropped. "You're giving us a _twenty minute head start?"_

"You'll need it," Taako said, the corners of his lips extending out to his ears.

"Cheeky." Lup gave Barry a quick kiss, then hauled Kravitz into Shrimp Heaven. He gave Taako a little awkward wave before the door shut between the two pairs. Lup turned to Kravitz once they were inside, hands on her hips as she looked him over.

"So," she said, pulling her hair back, "Do you know how to play pool?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> euuuuuuuugh.....if the physics don't work out on this one let's just pretend magic keeps them safe on the train.  
> If you asked me "why train?" ....................it just sort of happened as I wrote it. whoops!  
> thanks for reading, and thanks for all your nice comments! I'm glad it makes so many people laugh.  
> Next time......some weird stuff happens in the combination billiards hall/seafood buffet


	8. Shrimp Heaven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup and Kravitz gamble thirty people out of their shoes. Barry and Taako pull the ULTIMATE CON. Fantasy DDR.

So.

Lup _definitely_ approved of Kravitz.

Because, shit, anyone who could properly court her brother didn't need much vetting. She had heard him in the umbrella, listened to the two of them bumbling about for five dates--not to mention all the times Taako called to invite him over just to hang out. Taako didn't _just hang out_ with any of the other guys he'd been with before. He called him late into the night so frequently, their conversations ranging from gossip and awkward flirting to grossly explicit talks that Lup _tuned the fuck out of._ And, damn, Kravitz treated her brother right! He was even nice to the rest of the family. Sure, he hadn't gotten to know her and Barry that well yet, but he was trying really damn hard. It was supposed to be his job to take liches to jail, but he helped score both of them a really good bounty hunting gig.

But watching him gamble shoes out of rich people was what truly sold Lup on him.

Taako had told her once about the exact moment he started loving Barry. As family, of course. Not just accepting him--that was a big difference, Taako claimed. Lup didn't really believe that until she had that moment for Kravitz. She was delighted to watch him smile demurely as he asked for a rematch for a game of pool that he lost on purpose, only for him to sink every single shot perfectly and take up some poor sap's dress shoes with ease. How he used a little bit of bardic inspiration to help her win a game of darts. Oh, and the way they laughed while putting on magical disguises out behind the dumpster so nobody would know who they were.

Fuck, no wonder Taako and Barry were such great friends. In-law bonding felt _awesome._

Lup made a mental note to herself to pull Kravitz away at some point to hang out in a better place. Shrimp Heaven was probably the _worst_ place to have a good time. She didn't know what dumbass had the idea to combine a billiards hall with a shitty seafood buffet, but that dumbass deserved to be fired. The whole place was schlocky, tacky, and gross. A giant lobster tank ran along the edge of a half-wall separating the pool tables from the buffet. Lup swore she saw a chef sneeze into a vat of cocktail sauce. The billiards balls were chalky and dusty, the sticks were cracked, the tables had tears in the felt and stains on the wood. There was a dying arcade section in the back with a half-lit Fantasy DDR setup. But, y'know, the beers were three GP for a bottle and there's no arguing that.

The patrons were saps and easy to con. That's all Lup and Kravitz needed.

It was seven pairs of shoes in when Lup asked, "What should I expect, working for the Raven Queen?"

Kravitz chalked one of the sticks, scanning the room for their next victims. "I thought you already had a long conversation with her."

"I did! She's great, really. Already a fan." Lup didn't look up as she spoke, and kept her focus on the cheating curse she was trying to set on one of the table's pockets. "I was more asking about the whole...walking corpse biz."

"Ah. Well. You get used to it." Kravitz knocked a striped ball towards the hole Lup had cursed. It bounced off of an invisible plane, rolling right against the wall.

"To the point of forgetting what it's like to be alive, apparently." She laughed, rolling a solid ball towards Kravitz. "Barry told me he's nervous."

"Are you?" He hit the solid into the pocket, which went in without any problem.

"I mean, let's be real here--nothing could be worse than being trapped in an umbrella." Lup moved to a different pocket. She set the same curse on it. "Oh, and, while I'm thinking about it? Sorry for firing a shot at you that one time--I just. Didn't want you to hurt Barry."

"Understandable." Kravitz went to check the pocket Lup had charmed. He fished the ball from earlier out--this wasn't one of those fancy tables where the ball rolled into a compartment for safe keeping. It was just a shitty net. Very easy to cheat. "The two of you are very sweet. When I heard the broadcast, I--well, obviously, I was most excited to hear Taako's part of the story. But...hearing yours and Barry's story was also. I don't know how to say it--"

Lup jumped out of her spot, pointing at him accusingly. "Oh shit, you're a sap for romance!"

"If you _must_ put it that way." Kravitz chalked the cue stick again, taking his attention off of Lup. "All I'm saying is--"

"You're madly in love with my brother and hearing someone else's love story made you _feeeeeel_ things?" She took the cue stick from him, grinning wildly. 

He looked to the ground. "Is it that obvious?"

"A little. But I'll make time for a fan." Lup took the chalk, closing her eyes as she applied it. "Anything you want to ask?"

"About what?"

"My brother."

"You--" Kravitz' eyes darted around the room. "You're not going to give me the whole _if you hurt him I'll kill you_   routine?"

Lup shoved the cue stick back into his hands. "Hmm. Nope! Taako trusts you, so I trust you. I'm skipping to the 'give sage relationship advice' routine."

"Really."

"Really. Listen, I've seen Taako have flings before. A couple bad boyfriends. I've seen him wreck good people and stay with bad ones because he thought he 'deserved it.' He's never really had--y'know, anything stable. Neither had I, I guess, until Barry." Lup looked towards the door; possibly wondering when Barry and Taako would actually _get here._ "I've never seen him like this. You know, like he is with you."

"Oh."

"You two look good together." She beamed, patting him on the back a little too sternly. "He's _happy."_

"That--that's very comforting. Thank you." He smiled softly, his face burning up. "I'm happy too."

"Cute." She broke off, walking over to enchant another one of the pockets. "But _please_   don't let me catch you two making out again. Or, really, anything more explicit than a kiss on the cheek."

"Trust me, I will do anything in my power to prevent that from happening a second time."

" _Good."_  Lup looked towards the door again. "I wonder what's taking those two so long."

As if Istus herself was listening, the doors to Shrimp Heaven burst open with a kick. Lup and Kravitz had to hold back screams when they saw their respective boyfriends through the door.

Barry wasn't wearing denim. Barry wasn't-- _Fuck, Barry wasn't wearing denim!_ It looked like Taako had just transmuted his pants to be made out of a different fabric. Maybe it was cotton? Linen? Didn't matter. It was horrible to look at. His hair was tousled, as if he just came out of a fight. His glasses threatened to jump off his face.

Taako _was_ wearing denim. Lots of it. Even his hat. Did he--did he transmute all his clothes to denim? Disgusting. He also looked like he just came out of a fight, but it seemed like he won the fight. He had trouble keeping his hat balanced on his head (the denim probably weighed more than he was used to).

The two of them waved at Lup and Kravitz (who were in heavy magical disguises at that moment, but from the look on their faces Taako and Barry just _knew_ who they were) and made their way over to the seafood buffet portion of the building. They took a seat next to the stupidly large lobster tank, having a light argument about something Barry saw inside.

They made no efforts to steal shoes.

Instead, the two ate shrimp together. Every once in a while, they'd wave over to the two gamblers, whisper something in each other's ears, and break out in laughter. Barry picked at his non-denim pants. Taako made a couple fake gasps for breath. Barry kept overadjusting his glasses. Taako didn't speak much, but his eyes were scheming. Their conversation was animated and lighthearted, with at least one of them laughing at any given moment. Their ridiculous outfit swap wasn't lost on them; they kept pointing to each other and giggling.

"Slackers," Lup said as she sank the eight ball.

"What do you think their angle is?" Kravitz plucked the shoes off of their opponent, who had tried to run away after realizing they were being hustled.

"They probably just wanted to hang out." She took the shoes, throwing them into a pocket dimension for safe keeping. "Barry isn't as much into gambling as Taako and I are."

Kravitz waved their opponent away. "I'm surprised he'd offer to skip out on the competition."

"Well, they like to have time to each other. They're close." Lup cleared the billiards table, dispelling the charms she had placed on it to cheat. "It took a lot of time for Taako to let Barry into that space, but...I mean, look at them."

"They seem like great friends."

"They are. I love it when both my boys're together." Her face was fond as she watched Barry. "I kind of hate seeing Barry out of denim, though."

Kravitz nodded. "I want to burn Taako's clothes."

The two laughed together so loud it caught Barry and Taako's attention. Taako whispered something in Barry's ear, causing them to laugh too. Barry shot the two of them a friendly wave. 

Lup waved back at Barry. "Hope it doesn't take decades for _us_ to get along, Ghost Rider!"

"This may be a little presumptuous of me, but I'd say we're well on our way." The exact implication of what he said hit him, causing him to stumble over his words trying to correct himself. "I, er, I'm having a good time tonight, if that's any sort of indication."

"I'm a difficult woman to win over, bone boy." She shoved him in the back. "But I'm having fun too. Who do you think we should try next?"

"I think those two in the corner are bankers. That could be fun," Kravitz said, pointing to a well-dressed couple playing with darts. 

Lup gripped him at the arm, tugging Kravitz towards the couple. "I love your taste in rich people that need to be conned!"

* * *

"Hey nerds, they're closing in a half hour. Not doing any cons tonight?" Lup kicked the back of Taako's seat. Kravitz wasn't far behind her. 

"Just one." Taako swiveled in his chair, smiling and raising a brow. "Lup, I'd like to make a wager...with you."

Lup stopped, amused. "What are you playing at, Taako?"

"One game of Fantasy DDR." He held up a finger, draping himself over the back of his chair. "If we win, we get _all your shoes."_

The looks Barry and Taako shot up at Lup could be described as a lot of things; pleased, excited, smug, expectant, playful--but whatever it was, it was the farthest away from innocent as two people could possibly be. 

Lup took a deep breath, a wide grin painted across her face. She placed one arm on Barry's shoulder, and the other on Taako's. "I love both of you with all my heart." Then, her grin turned downright evil. "But what do Kravitz and I get if _we_ win?"

"What do you want?" Barry asked.

"I want a very specific conversation with Taako. One that he's been _avoiding."_ She was hoping to get a rise out of Taako from that, but he shrugged it off. Lup frowned. "Ghost Rider, do you want anything from Barry, to make it fair?"

Kravitz knew exactly what he wanted. "I'd love it if you stopped trying to collect samples off of me."

Barry nodded. Fair enough.

Lup clapped her hands together. "So who's up against who?"

Taako stood up. "It's not fun if the two of us go up against each other. And it's unfair if we go up against either one of our boyfriends--so why don't we just pit them against each other?"

"Why? Is Kravitz really bad at dancing and you're just not telling me?"

"I haven't seen him dance yet."

"You think he's worse than _Barry?"_  Lup turned to Barry, apologetic. "Barry, sweetheart, love of my life--you twisted your back trying to do the Fantasy Macarena. You broke your foot trying to walk up a half-flight of stairs. You're--I'm pretty sure your dexterity is negative five. I ask again. Do you really think Kravitz is worse than _BARRY?"_

Taako could only smile. "I'm willing to make that gamble."

"Interesting." Lup couldn't stop grinning, her hands balled up in excited fists. "Yes. Yes to all of this. I love it. Ghost Rider, come on!" She grabbed Taako and was already halfway to the Fantasy DDR machine before anyone could stop her.

Barry and Kravitz stepped up onto the platforms, placing their feet in the middle. They shot a quick glance at each other as Lup and Taako fought over which song they were going to use. It didn't make any difference--Kravitz hadn't had time to listen to modern music in centuries. Barry quickly explained the mechanics of Fantasy DDR to him--and, hmm, once Kravitz had seen him up close? He noticed that something about Barry seemed...different. As the song started, Barry smirked and _winked_ at Kravitz.

It was at that very moment Kravitz knew he and Lup had been hustled, _hard._

Kravitz had never seen Barry dance. Still, he knew this wasn't Barry. Kravitz knew this from the first move he made on that platform. He hit the beats too hard. Even though he only needed to use his feet to get points, he put his whole body into a stylish dance too suave for Fantasy DDR. It was too loud and flirtatious and demanding to be Barry. And, if Lup's description of his dexterity was correct, then there was no feasible way Barry could have pulled off these maneuvers.

Every moment was familiar. The way his hips overcorrected when he sent his shoulders out too far. The way his chin tilted towards the most interesting thing in the room. The pointed toes and perfectly positioned fingers. The cocky grin and side-eye after landing a difficult movement. Kravitz realized he wasn't paying attention to the screen, and had already fallen hundreds of points behind. 

This wasn't Barry.

Lup seemed to understand what was going on soon enough. " _BARRY!"_ She screamed, hitting the denim-clad Taako on the chest. 

Taako (Barry?) laughed, leaning his head on Lup's shoulder. "Sorry, babe, it was too good of an idea to pass up. And--I thought it would be nice to see what it's like being undead for myself--"

"Nuh-uh, _fuck you_ , you're not touching me until you get back into your _real_ body!" Lup pushed him back, only half-angry, and leaned over the railing to heckle Barry (Taako?). "Taako,  _FUCK YOU!"_

Barry(Taako) wailed in laughter, the song coming to an end. It wasn't physically possible for Kravitz to catch up, so he stopped dancing as well. Barry and Taako won the wager, and the thirty shoes that Kravitz and Lup spent the entire night collecting. As Kravitz and  _Taako_ exited the platform, Lup exploded into laughter. 

"So--" Lup wheezed, more entertained by the whole thing than angry. She gestured in between Taako and Barry. "So what, exactly,  _is_ this?"

"Pretty disturbing, is what it is," Kravitz said in a nervous trill. 

"Barry thought it would be funny," Taako said--it still came out in Barry's voice and body, but with the knowledge of the swap, every word that came out of his mouth was so unquestionably Taako. "It's just a simple body-swapping spell. They did it at one of the HR retreats at the Bureau."

"It's quite the experience being in a dead body," Barry added. Such a flat intonation, and so strange for it to be paired with Taako's voice. "Thanks for letting me try it out."

Lup snorted. "Can...can you switch back, like, right now? I  _super_ hate this." 

"Yeah, fuck it," were the last words to come out of Not-Barry-But-Also-Barry's body before a puff of smoke engulfed the two. Once it cleared, Barry was back in denim and Taako's clothes were back to normal. Barry gasped for breath, while Taako was back on that no-breathing bullshit. Taako's inflections came out of Taako now, and he spoke first. "Better?"

"Yes," Kravitz blurted out. "That was  _extremely_ confusing."

The other three laughed, jostling Kravitz playfully. "That's how it is with us," Lup said, "Get used to it."

The four left Shrimp Heaven as it was closing, laughing and hollering the whole way out. They walked the streets, looking for their next source of shoes--they hopped from bar to restaurant, to more bars, to casinos--anywhere they could steal a good pair of shoes from bad people. Some cons would take one person, some two, some all four. A family affair, Lup insisted. The places they visited became increasingly more exquisite and grand, and gaudy, and horrible. They gambled until sunrise, cheating all the way through, and by morning their conquests were printed in the papers and the militia was after them. But by then, they were long gone. Long gone with a sleeper compartment full of rich people's shoes. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [distant malicious and wheezing laughter]  
> Thanks for reading!


	9. Embarrassment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup and Barry go out for a few nights, leaving Taako with his overwhelmed boyfriend.

"Who's your favorite sister?"

"You're my only sister," Taako said, eyes on a bubbling pot. "Wait. Does this mean you're doing me some kind of, kind of--" Taako snapped in the air, reaching for the word.

"Favor," Lup answered.

"Then yes, you  _are_ my favorite sister." He turned around, grinning madly. "What's the favor?"

"Barry and I snagged two Battlefest tickets, and I  _really, really_ want to go see Jess the Beheader. Aaaand, I figured it would be fun to stay a few nights there alone with Barry, so--" Lup coughed, ear twitching as she thought about it. She tapped her brother on the nose. "You and Ghost Rider get the house to yourselves."

Taako deflated. "Sounds more like a favor to you."

She knew there would be pushback. Outside of the occasional nights Lup had alone with Barry, Taako had been glued to her since she came out of the tube. Of course, she was just as attached, but...yes, she  _did_ want some private time with Barry. That wasn't selfish, was it? "Can't the favor serve both of us?"

"I don't like sharing." Taako turned back to watch the pot, turning the heat on the oven down. "And this was supposed to be all four of us together." He shoved a spoon into the soup.

"Taako."

His thoughts were elsewhere, stirring the pot in a wild motion. "The last time you left--"

"You're overstirring," Lup said plainly. She took the spoon from him and squeezed him in a tight hug. "It's only three days. Not that far away, either. And Barry's with me."

He dug his face into her shoulder.  _"Still."_

Lup changed her tone, speaking in a high and melodic voice. "I'm only doing it because you're being  _stubborn."_  

"That's not news. What are you talking about?" Taako pulled away, glaring at her suspiciously.

Figuring a more lighthearted approach would work, Lup let a mischievous grin spread across her face. "You know what I'm talking about."

The thought must have clicked in Taako's brain, because he pushed her away playfully as she said it. His hand went to cover his mouth, and did he think she didn't notice the hint of red in his complexion? For a corpse, he sure was doing that more often than he had before. "No, nope, uh-uh, you're not--we're not getting into this."

"Come  _on!"_ Lup let her grin fall into a more concerned expression. "You can't keep dragging your feet with Kravitz. And don't give me any bullshit--you're bad at hiding it. I caught you on a goddamned train. If you're not going to talk through feelings with me or Barry, then can you at least  _try_ to do it with him?"

"I'm not talking about anything, Lup." Taako adjusted the bracelets on his arms, figuring if he had a task to focus on, the conversation would just go away on its own. "Talking about feelings is stupid. That's why they're called  _feelings,_ because you  _feel_ them and they don't  _need_ to be discussed."

Lup blinked and cocked her head to the side. "So you're not denying you  _have_ them?"

The implications of what he had said froze him. All speech died in his throat, his ears going flat against his head.

"Oh,  _Taako."_

Taako tried to pick up the slack, rambling off with nonsense words to fill the silence, even if his voice broke a couple times when he tried. "No! No, no, no, that's not what--I'm not--psssh, that's--not..."

_"Holy shit,_ is this _for real?"_   Lup smiled, bouncing on her heels. She grabbed Taako's hands. "You're--"

"I'm  _not_ , I  _swear!"_ He tried wrestling out of her grasp, but she had always been the stronger one.

"Not  _yet,_ but it sure looks like you're  _getting_ there." She let go of him, but immediately went to pinch his cheeks like their aunt used to do, purposefully riling him up a bit. "You can never make fun of me for being gooey around Barry again. Look at this!"

He only groaned in response.

She pat him on the shoulder. "As funny as this is, you really need to...like, get going with Kravitz. You can't sit stewing in silence forever."

Taako snorted. " _You_   can't make fun of me for not  _taking action in a relationship."_

"Don't bring up--"

_"Thirty years!"_ Taako smirked, loving the fact that he had the upper hand in the conversation now. "If we weren't stuck in a time loop because of Voreman Johnson, Barry could have been  _dead_ by the time you got to him."

Lup threw her hands in the air. "I would have  _gotten_   to Barry earlier if you didn't get your meddling hands all over him!"

"I never meddled with you and Barold's relationship, you're being ridiculous."

"Oh, so giving Barry  _swimming lessons_ wasn't meddling? Kicking me under the table whenever I happened to glance in his direction wasn't meddling?" Lup didn't have a problem getting up in her brother's face to roast the shit out of him. "Fuck, Taako, remember when you talked to Barry so much I started thinking  _you_ were dating him? And, no, you were just giving him shitty love advice, but that's still m-e-d-d-l-i--"

He let out an annoyed whine, interrupting her. "What do you want me to say, Lup?"

"I'm trying to get you to talk to me about Kravitz," she said, "Or Barry. Or the man in question. Any one will do. Oooh, or maybe I can get Magnus or Merle on the line? Or Ren, or Angus, or--just, someone. It's bad to keep this all in."

Taako wrung his hands, looking off in the distance. "You know I don't talk about--"

"And I didn't either, until I had to talk to Barry. We have problems too, everyone does--but they don't blow up in our faces that often because I fucking  _talk_ to him." Lup frowned. "When you're with someone for more than a night or two, you have to talk things out when they come into your brain. It gets nasty if you don't."

"But there's nothing wrong."

"That's exactly why you've got to talk soon.  _Before_ it gets bad." She hugged him again, soft and reassuring. "A feeling that's cute and funny now can explode and become something nasty later if you don't get it all out in the open."

Taako stayed quiet for a good, long time before quietly asking, "When are you leaving for Battlefest?"

"Tomorrow night."

"Fine. I'll talk to him," he said, his voice tired, as he pulled back from Lup's hug. "You've got to call me every night while you're gone, though."

"I already planned to." She let go of him, eyes on the stove. "Your pot's boiling over."

_"Fuck!"_  He turned off the stovetop, and wet a rag to clean up the mess. Lup laughed at him.

"Saving your spell slots for somethin'?" she asked as she magic'd the whole situation back to normal. Taako shook as he watched the oven clean itself, too nervous to move. Lup thought for a moment, wondering why he was so freaked out. She opened her mouth to tease him on it, or at least ask why he was so squeamish about wands in the kitchen.

Oh.  _Right._

Lup decided not to bring it up. She had asked too much of him today already.

* * *

Alright, what fresh hell was  _this?_

Eating? Fine, that was enjoyable. Sleeping? Time-consuming, but pleasant. Heartbeat? Cute, soothing. Using the restroom? Gross, but a strange sense of relief came afterwards. Breathing? Completely tedious, useless, but it came naturally enough. Blinking? Barely registered in his day-to-day  _life_ , not even worth the thought.

But whatever  _this_ was, it needed to  _stop already._

Kravitz stood in front of the bathroom mirror, hands framing his face. His stomach felt like it had dropped into his knees, and his chest was four sizes too tight. No matter  _how_ he breathed, it wasn't correct. Deep breaths didn't help. Shallow breaths made it worse. There was this flaming pit in the middle of his sternum, threatening to burst out. His head felt full, like an entire library of information was just shoved into the folds of his brain. He was  _warm--_ too warm--in his face, in his chest, in his hands.

_Burning, burning, on fire._

This wasn't the first time, but it hadn't been happening too often. Kravitz was overwhelmed more easily in a physical, living body. As a construct, when he felt a particularly strong emotion, that's all it was--it stayed in his head. The only exception was Taako, who could fluster him so hard his heart would start beating. Even then, it was pleasant--feeling  _something_ was a novelty, not a nuisance. But in this living body, it never stopped. He couldn't get any sort of reprieve. If he had a particularly strong emotion, it wormed its way farther down his body. Just. Too overwhelming. It didn't make any sense. What was the use in having a physical reaction to certain emotions? There wasn't even a specific thing that set him off, either; these episodes were random and unpredictable.

_Boiling, blazing, burning._

" _Heeey_ , uh, what's shaking in here?" Taako held the door open a crack, just his face peeking through. His fingers drummed on the door frame. "You...okay?"

Right.  _Right, right,_ Kravitz had just--he'd just run away from Taako, right in the middle of their conversation. Didn't even give a warning. No explanation. Wow.

"I'm--yes? I'm fine, it's not...I'm okay."

Taako frowned and swung the door open. "You're a bad liar."

"Only to you, I suppose," Kravitz said, his face heating up a few more degrees. Great. "I. Um. I felt--overwhelmed. I'm sorr--"

"Don't--apologize. Fuck, you did this on the goddamn train too, didn't you?" Taako asked. Fuck. He was--frustrated? Or mad. Kravitz couldn't tell. "That's what that was, wasn't it?"

"May-be." He ran his hands along his face. "Sorry. I think--I got embarrassed."

"All I did was call you boner man." Taako walked inside, sitting himself down on the bathroom counter, his back to the mirror. "Shit, you fluster easily, but I've done worse than  _boner man_ before. Are you....like,  _good?"_

"It doesn't always happen. It's kind of random." Kravitz cupped his hands in the sink, poured cold water into them, and splashed his face. "I liked it when it happened on the train. That was...fun. This is--fuck, I feel like I'm burning up."

"Here," Taako said as he laid the back of his hand against Kravitz' cheek. Cold hands were good for some things, at least. "That help?"

Kravitz leaned into the touch, eyes fluttering shut. "Doesn't help the embarrassment, but it does help the burning." He sighed. "Thank you."

The two stayed in silence for a couple minutes. Taako moved to more comfortably lay hands on Kravitz, moving them every so often. He settled a hand in his hair, tangling them into the rows of braids. "Y'know, I think you'll actually have to redo these soon," he mumbled, "They're barely keeping together."

"Forgot about that. I don't usually have to tend to...um, cosmetic affairs. Death freezes that all in place." Kravitz fumbled with a braid, watching it come undone at the end in his fingers.

"So that's why you always look perfect." Taako paused. He turned his hand, holding Kravitz' face in his palms. "Hey, is this too much?"

"What?"

"This." Taako tried to gesture, but Kravitz refused to let his hands go. "The whole thing. Living, and all that jazz."

Kravitz stood deep in thought for a long moment. During quiet moments, he could feel his body doing everything--pumping blood, breathing, blinking, and a list of functions that he didn't even know about--and, yes. He missed being dead, as weird as that sounded. He could be quiet and calm when he was dead. "Well. Yes. But--if I'm supposed to get used to it--"

"No, shut up for a minute."

He did.

"Listen, your goddess told me to make sure you didn't get overwhelmed, so. I should...do that? I feel like she's going to kill me for real if I don't." Taako shifted his hands around again, moving them around Kravitz' neck. "We can do something quiet. I'll...figure out how to redo your braids, how's that? Can't promise they'll be good, but that'll get my ice hands to cool your head down. You can get 'em done by someone who knows what they're doing later."

"That...sounds lovely, Taako. Are you sure?"

_"Are you sure--_ fuck, you should know this was part of my elaborate plot to get to play with your fuckin' hair." Taako flashed a smile, one that wasn't as played up for theatrics.

"I was only asking. It takes a lot of time to do." He started undoing his old braids, surprised at how easy they came apart in his hands. Damn, they really needed to be done. "I'll uh. I'll be right out, I have to wash this out so you can get your hands in it."

"Lemme see if I can't conjure up some cute beads to put on the ends," Taako said, leaving the bathroom to Kravitz.

It took a little explaining (and a  _lot_ of accidental hair pulling) before Taako could even get one row done. Taako cast a little charm on his fingers that would condition his hair as he braided it.  Kravitz had forgotten the tight feeling in his scalp that came with the process. Somehow, it ended up being calming. Felt like home. His old one. Blurry visions of his old life came back a little sharper. Taako stayed quiet for the braiding, but spoke for a half hour with Lup on his stone of Farspeech for their nightly call. Kravitz closed his eyes, his back resting against Taako's chest, and let time pass by him without much trouble. He definitely felt better as his boyfriend weaved his fingers through his hair. These quiet moments were some of his favorites. 

About halfway through his head, Taako decided he should...talk.

"Y'know, I kind of get why you're not taking this too well," he said, reaching for a pretty red bead, "Everything feels kind of dull in death."

"Oh." Kravitz ran a thumb over his forearm. "I'm sorry."

"It's cool." Taako finished off a section, running fingers along the finished half. "It's more interesting than sad, if that helps. Usually when I die, it doesn't stick around for this long."

Kravitz laughed. "I hope this is the last time."

" _Last time?"_ Taako laughed back, his grin on Kravitz' neck. "Oh, finally, guess that means I've got your permission to go turn into a lich! Taako's gonna live forever!"

_"Second to last time._ " He chuckled. Somehow, when Taako joked about necromancy, Kravitz didn't mind as much. "The last time you will die is far off in the future, anyway."

Taako combed fingers through the unbraided section of Kravitz' hair. "Hmm."

"Yes?"

"Do you, uh." He paused. When his voice came back, it was faint and...afraid? "Do you think you'll still be around?"

"Huh."

"Huh?"

"You don't usually--" Kravitz looked down at his hands. "You don't usually talk about the future."

After a pause that felt longer than it probably was, Taako answered, "I don't like to. But I've been thinkin' about it--us? Don't read too much into that."

Kravitz thought for a moment, and took a deep breath. "If you still want me around."

"What?"

"I'm, er. I'm staying around until you want me to leave. Is what I meant to say." His toes curled in as he spoke, another emotive course running through his body--but it was better than the embarrassment earlier. Softer. "However long that is for you."

"Really?"

"Really."

Taako took his hands out of Kravitz' hair, holding him at the waist. He let his cheek rest in between Kravitz' shoulder blades. "Why?"

Kravitz reached down to hold Taako's hands in his. "Because, I love you."

Sixty-one.

"I-I need to talk to you about something." Taako's weight shifted behind him, sitting on his knees in attention but still holding on tightly. Any playful tilt in his voice was gone, replaced with a tone that Kravitz had only heard a few times.

"Then--oh, no, was it what I said about staying?" Kravitz let go of his hands. "That's. Um. Yeah, you're right, that was really presumptuous of me, I-I shouldn't have--"

"No, no, uh--that was. Fine." Taako grabbed his hands again, as if the contact was the only thing grounding him. "Like, I'm not there yet, but it's. I mean, fuck, I was the one that asked about the future. I'd rather you say something sappy and horrifying than lie to me. It's more about. You know."

"I don't?"

"You _just_   said it, it's--you said it on the portal."

"Oh--am I--do you--is it weird that I keep saying--"

_"No!_ "  He blurted out, which was quickly accompanied by an embarrassed whine and a tightened grip. "Not that you should stop saying it, that's not the problem, it's more of...ugh, shit--let me say something."

Kravitz waited for Taako to speak again, but he didn't. Maybe he was waiting for a signal? "Of course? Go ahead."

"I guess. I. Well." As much as anything else, being vulnerable is a skill. Taako was not practiced at it. On a good day, it would come out in short bursts around the people he held trust in, but even then some of his feelings had to be decoded. Sometimes, words would fall out of him when the two of them were alone. Not tonight. Taako stuttered through what he wanted to say, his voice getting increasingly frustrated when he couldn't. "I. Uh. Shit, why can't I just--"

"You don't have to say anything you don't want to," Kravitz said as a gentle reminder.

"I'm not saying  _that,_ it's. It's not as big as that." Taako dipped back into silence. Kravitz wasn't sure for how long--it could have been a minute or an hour, and he wouldn't have known the difference. His heart dropped into his stomach when he heard Taako speak again, in that same raw tone of voice. "I know I said I didn't  _mind_ hearing it..."

"I can stop--"

_"Don't!"_   His heart was beating against Kravitz' back, his lips to his ear as he whispered, afraid he'd break if he said it any louder. "I. Like hearing it."

"Pardon?" Kravitz turned his head to look at Taako, but a hand promptly set his face forward.

"It sounds nice in your voice. I guess everything does, but." His words came out quickly now, as if a hand came up and shoved out the block in his brain that made him unable to speak clearly. "It scared me at first. Shocker, right? But the more I hear it, it's just. I don't want to say  _comforting_ because it fucking  _does_ things to me when you say it, except I don't know what else to call it. And--it does good things. If you were wondering."

Once Taako was done, Kravitz turned around to face him. Without words, he smiled softly, adoration in his eyes. 

Taako nose bunched up, worried. "What's that face for?"

"You have no idea how--how happy I am to hear that it wasn't...bothering you? When I said that? I know you said you didn't  _mind,_ so I said it every once in a while just in case, but. It's good to know for sure. Thank you." Kravitz hugged him tightly. "Would it be weird if I--is it okay if I say it more often?"

"I." Taako held him back. "Yes. Anytime. That would be. Better."

Kravitz pulled away just far enough to press his forehead to Taako's. He grinned, looking him directly in the eyes as he said, "I love you, Taako."

Sixty-two.

Neither of them could tell which one  _started_ kissing the other. Did it even matter at this point? More accurate to call it a collision, anyway. Kravitz' hair was still half done, and he didn't care if he was about to wake up the next morning with half his hair frizzed out. He muttered the words in between breaths, hushed and quick and  _wanting,_ a delighted noise escaping Taako every time.

Sixty-three, sixty-four,  _sixty five._

Taako arched an eyebrow, squeezing Kravitz' thigh as he muttered, "I wonder how many more times I can get you to say it  _tonight,_ huh?"

Kravitz choked. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, a chapter just turns into an intense amount of fluff halfway through and I refuse to stop it  
> thanks to everyone for reading and commenting!!


	10. The Best Number (bonus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz finds out that Taako's been counting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> blame StellarWing and theninthmember for this extra half chapter, they left comments that made me think of this NIGHTMARE SCENARIO. but be warned that there's more extreme mentions of sex than usual here. nothing explicit, it's only a paragraph at the beginning and here for the punchline.

Sixty-eight.

Fuck, what a sap. Kravitz was liberal with his usage of the phrase tonight. Not that Taako minded, because--well, fuck it, he was feeling sappy too. Had to take these moments as they arrived, for how rare they were. He was going slow and heavy, taking in every moment like there was going to be a test on it later. Kravitz may have been using the words, but Taako was the one translating them into actions. 

Kravitz said it, one more time, right as he finished.

Sixty-nine.

"Pfft--!" Taako tried containing his laughter, his lips threatening to burst open and let it all out.

"What?" Kravitz asked, breath shaking.

"Oh, n-nothin' it's--" He snorted, laughing through his incantations he always used to clean up. Taako laid down next to Kravitz and got his fingers all up in that mass of hair he forgot to braid. He flashed a lopsided grin, the edges of his lips twitching. "D-don--don't even sweat it." After a moment of trying to contain the laughter, it burst out like a popping balloon. 

This was...new? Kravitz closed his eyes, held Taako close and waited until his breathing became steady before speaking. "Don't get me wrong--you're gorgeous when you're happy, but...er, you don't normally _laugh_ after sex."

Taako opened his mouth to ramble out an excuse, but only laughter fell out. The kind of laugh that scrunched up his face and sent his head careening in every direction. His "ugly" laugh--although, in Kravitz' mind, nothing about it was ugly. He laughed so hard he almost fell out of bed, his grip on Kravitz still tight enough that he'd take him down as collateral.

"Did I...do something funny?"

This sent Taako into another panicked fit of laughter. Hectic and out of control, tears leaking out of the corners of his eyes. If he was living, there would be a good chance that he'd puncture a lung. Kravitz sighed, figuring he'd have to wait it out. A minute later, Taako tried speaking through the fits, with mixed success. "You fuckin--you--that was--you said it--it's the sex nu--the fu--sixt--sixty-ni--" 

"Taako--are you laughing because you remembered that the number _sixty nine_ exists?"

"No, no, it's--" His speech stabilized a bit, but there were still bursts of unguarded laughter in between. "Let's call it a-a-an inside joke? Between me and me."

Kravitz pressed his forehead to Taako's, eyes soft as he watched this display of pure joy. His voice came out gentle and interested, his fingers trailing up the small of Taako's back. "Share it with me?"

Taako snickered, winding down. His arms went around Kravitz' neck, his nose nuzzled into his cheek. "You'll laugh."

"If it's a joke, I sure hope I'll laugh," he said, his thumb lightly pressed to the ball joint in Taako's shoulder.

Suddenly, the laughing stopped, replaced by fear, or shame, or some unsettling mixture of the two. "Okay, maybe it wasn't a joke."

"Then why were you laughing?" The question wasn't demanding, just curious.

Taako took a scoot backwards, deciding if he should come clean and say it. He chewed on his lip, eyebrows weaved in a serious knit. "That was the sixty-ninth time you...said _that,_ and--"

A pocket of air caught in Kravitz' throat. "You've--you've been _counting?"_

Color rose in Taako's face, and yes--this _was_ shame. No. Embarrassment? Funny to see that twice in one night. He laughed again, but nervous; his eyes wide, his ears pressed to his neck, his shoulders rigid and up as high as possible. "That's--creepy, isn't it?"

"No!" Kravitz thought for a moment, only to break into laughter himself. "Well, maybe. It falls into the realm of 'things that are creepy if both parties aren't into it,' I think. Like threatening to tentacle a stranger's dick while surrounded by tourmaline."

"So you _were_ into it?" Taako asked, immediately grateful for the deflect.

"Would I have agreed to meet you alone if I wasn't?" Kravitz hummed, tracing the line of Taako's collarbone with kisses. "Taako, I think it's sweet."

"The tentacles?"

"N--yes, but--that's not what I was referring to. The fact you _counted._   I, um. It's very nice to know that you're...invested? Well--not, invested, but, um." Kravitz coughed. "So that was the sixty-ninth time?"

"Yeah."

His eyes went wide. "And I said it as we were--"

" _Yeah."_

They both laughed until they cried. The two leaned on each other for support--a charming sentiment in theory, but in practice it ended up with Kravitz toppling both of them over the edge of the bed, and Taako's head connected to the floor with a muffled _thunk._ Good thing he was dead. Kravitz pulled him back onto the bed, kissing the "injury" until Taako stopped complaining, and they settled back underneath the sheets.

Kravitz rubbed the sore spot on Taako's head. It didn't swell or leave any marks, but it gave him something to do with his hands while talking. "What are the exact rules you use for counting?"

"Well," Taako said as he closed his eyes and relaxed into the touch, "Since I said it while drunk that one time, I'm not counting it if you say it drunk. You've said it a couple times in your sleep too, but those are bonus. Only counting conscious ones, really."

"Fair."

"And I only count you saying it in that explicit context." Taako shimmied up closer to Kravitz, cheek laid on chest. "Like, it doesn't count if you say 'Taako, I lo-- _like_   your hair,' or some shit like that." He put on a purposefully bad Cockney accent for the impersonation.

"What about if I called you _my love?"_ Kravitz asked through a smile.

"That wouldn't count, that's a pet name. Like dear, or darling--if I counted those you'd be in the hundreds." He lifted his head off Kravitz, not looking him in the eye but still in his general direction. "Although, _fuck--_ uh. Feel free to. Say that, too."

"You don't have to tell me twice, _love."_ Kravitz leaned over to kiss the portion of Taako's face he could reach--he landed somewhere near his right temple. "Thank you for opening up a little tonight, I know that's not your natural state."

Taako laid his head back down on Kravitz. "I mean, it's whatever."

"It means a lot to me."

After some silence, Taako spoke again, eyes on the ceiling. "You've said it eight times tonight."

"Too many?"

"Considering you've been holding back on me, no? If you did that many every day, that'd be one thing, but." Taako took in a breath, realized how unnecessary that was, and made a raspberry with his tongue instead of breathing out. "I mean, I just got done tellin' you I liked hearing it, so, it's not surprising that you'd say it a lot. And--I was directly responsible for at least three of those."

Kravitz felt heat rising in his cheeks as he remembered Taako's voice in his ear, teasingly refusing to go farther without hearing it again. "Y-you're right, I was just. Excited, I suppose."

A classic Taako grin settled over his face, and even though Kravitz wasn't at the angle to _see_ it, it was present in his voice. _"I'll say."_

"Oh, _fuck you_ , I'm going to bed." Kravitz turned around and threw the covers over his head, leaving Taako blanket-less.

"He-e-e-e-yyy..." Taako pouted, and then cast Blink so he could lay in front of Kravitz, situating himself in the sheets. "You're not allowed to stop holding me, fuck off."

"You're _cold,"_ he said, pulling the sheets closer to him.

Taako scoffed. "Yeah, and if you had made friends in the resource department, we wouldn't be stuck in this situation right now."

Kravitz closed his eyes, quickly slipping out of consciousness. "Glad I got stuck like this with _you,_ though..."

Fighting the whine that crept up from the back of his throat, Taako pulled the covers down past their heads so that his boyfriend wouldn't suffocate in his sleep. He had  _no right_ to say so much sappy shit in one night. He settled into Kravitz' arms, eyes still on the ceiling, his brain running circles around itself trying to process the whole thing. Everything Kravitz had said that night, and every night before. His mind went to the tally next, still topped out at the number sixty-nine. Taako still wasn't sure if he felt the words yet, but it would be stupid of him to deny the fact that he was _starting_   to. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what's up everyone, that's two chapters in a row that turn into fluff halfway through on complete accident. (okay, well, this was an extra bonus chapter. again, this came out because of comments from StellarWing and theninthmember) this one was shorter than my normal ones because it wasn't originally in my outline, but expect another chapter in the next few days or so. (ya'll ready for.......beach trip?)


	11. Seasick

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz has a few problems at the beach.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> warning, there's something adjacent to a panic attack in this chapter! and a mild injury. and, like, a brief mention of vomit--sorry to everyone that thought this was gonna be a fun beach chapter!!!

"I've got to be honest, I thought the beach year was a joke," Kravitz said, stuck with the task of carrying the beach supplies from Merle's property to the shore.

"What made you think that?" Barry asked, carrying the other half of the beach shit.

Ahead of them were the twins, who carried _jack shit_ because of course they did. Meanwhile, Kravitz and Barry had to hike across sand dunes with oversized umbrellas and coolers in their arms, no big deal, _even though there are two wizards right in front of us who could totally cast levitation._ Kravitz shrugged, as much as he could while carrying forty pounds of shit. "Well, just--I can't imagine Taako going crunchy for a year."

"You have _no_ idea," Lup said, laughing as she elbowed her brother. "You ready to watch your boyfriend turn into a completely different person, Ghost Rider?"

"It's not _that weird."_ Taako was turned away from the other two, but they didn't need to look at his face to gauge how annoyed he was. "I--I'm _allowed_ to have hobbies, aren't I?"

"It's weird, Taako," Barry said, smiling, and  _fuck,_ if  _Barry_ thought it was weird--

"I don't need to hear that from someone who wears _jeans at the beach,_ Barry!" Taako made a vague noise of discomfort, his hands fanning around his head wildly. "The ocean is calming, I like to live on _island time!"_

Lup's tone turned deadly. "Do you want me to put you on blast, Taako?"

"There's nothing to--"

"Do you want me to put you _ON BLAST?"_    Was she being playful, or was she about to drown her brother in the ocean? "Let's take a little visit to the ship and look at your fucking music history, hmmm? You and Merle played Fantasy Jimmy Buffet on the Starblaster for, like, an entire cycle!"

Taako couldn't help but chuckle. "I had--"

Lup got right up in Taako's face, about to explode. "You used to be my _BROTHER--"_

"I had a case of the _Mondays!"_  The second half of his sentence went up five octaves and into another plane of reality, immediately followed with snorting and laughing from both twins. Barry joined in with his pseudo-huff-laughing, and Kravitz let out a nervous chuckle. He didn't understand any of this: who Fantasy Jimmy Buffet was, how they had recorded music on the ship, why a day of the week could create some form of illness in a person--but he was undeniably charmed by the family's antics.

Somewhere along the way, Taako had collected himself again. He turned around to walk backwards, like a college admissions worker on a campus tour. "You swim, Krav?"

Kravitz could feel Lup and Barry's eyes fixed squarely on him, and fought the uneasy stomach twist he couldn't shake when he felt he was being judged by Taako's family. "I--don't."

"Why didn't you say so?" His grin was a performance, attentive and even on both sides. "I could teach 'ya."

"I wouldn't want to cut in to your, ah, _island time."_  Kravitz could _swear_ Barry was taking mental notes on all his answers.

Taako slowed his backwards walking so he could walk in between Kravitz and Barry. "Not a problem, I need _something_ to do while waiting for waves to come by." His eyes lit up as they caught Kravitz', his expression less of a performance as the environment around them melted away. "And, hey, if you catch on quick enough--maybe you could join me on the board!"

Kravitz barely processed any of his words, locked in a rare case of long and unbroken eye contact with Taako. The moment wiped his brain--carrying _what_ bags? Beach? They were on the beach? If Lup and Barry were watching, he certainly didn't notice, and he _absolutely_ forgot them. It was that slow-motion feeling he had on the train, where the world around them blurred and time stopped as it passed the two. Kravitz' chest felt full and there was _something_ in Taako's eyes that hadn't been there before. Maybe it was confusion, because Kravitz realized he had been standing in silence like an idiot for half a minute.

"The...board?"

"Surfing, you know?" Both their eyes were still locked together.

"Oh." Kravitz blinked, only processing half of Taako's words. "I-I mean, only if you want to."

"A'course I do!" Taako smiled, bright and all teeth. Unguarded.

"It's not any--"

"Trouble? Never."

"I suppose if, um, yo-you're not--" Kravitz felt ridiculous, reduced to a stumbling mess because of _prolonged eye contact._ Taako's face turned serious, lost in some thought. "What's--what's that face for?"

Taako's head tilted to the side, curious, eyes still affixed to Kravitz'. "You're cute when you're nervous."

It was normal for Taako to throw in a blunt compliment to throw Kravitz off as a tease. That was his strategy from day one. Joke and flirt until Kravitz broke down. It worked, and Kravitz didn't mind that it worked. If he was going to be destroyed by someone, better it be Taako than anyone else. But Taako hadn't said this as a joke. It was an observation, spoken plainly, no flirting attached. The thought came into his mind and he printed it out, slapped a magnet onto it and hung it on his Fantasy Refrigerator.

And the _look_ on his face-- _that_ would be enough to send Kravitz back to the Astral Plane. Taako's face was able to go into this strange and lopsided half-and-half expression. His right eye was bright and lively, the left lazy and content. Both eyebrows raised, but conveying two different tones. Dimples? Hell yeah. Lips parted _just_ enough to show how full they were. And a little hint of teeth. And with the perfect little dip of his cupid's bow that Kravitz could write sonnets about. And. Fuck, Kravitz had been staring a little too long at his lips. Although, he couldn't be too guilty, because Taako was looking at his face the same way. Kravitz wondered for a moment, how dumb he must look, until Taako supplied a concise description:

"You gonna pick your jaw up off the floor, darling?"

"I." Kravitz didn't have much to say, because. Yes, _yes,_ he just got caught staring at Taako. He wasn't doing anything particularly attractive, apart from _existing_ (which, in Kravitz' defense, was attractive enough). The world still moved like molasses around them, bending around their forms to avoid disturbing them. Unsure of how much time had passed, or what was even around them, Kravitz was caught in this trance. And--again, judging by Taako's expression, he was facing something similar.

Until Lup's voice broke them out of the trance with a groan. "You two are gross, you know that?"

Kravitz snapped back into reality. Lup and Barry were about ten feet ahead of them, and--when did Kravitz and Taako stop walking? The wind rushed against his face like normal. His feet sunk into the sand. Time moved as it should have, maybe even at a quicker pace than he was used to? Suddenly, the weight of the bags and supplies Kravitz carried caught up to him. He took in a breath, now aware of the bag straps digging into his shoulders. That's the shitty part about carrying forty pounds of baggage across the sand; after stopping for a break, it takes more energy to start back up again. Everything felt heavier than he remembered. He barely got two steps in the sand before Taako stopped him.

"Oh, shit, handsome, you, uh--should'a told me this was all too heavy," Taako said, dynamic and drawn-out. "Taako's not one for physical labor, but I'll just..." He looked Kravitz over and picked out the lightest-looking bag from his arms and hooked it over his shoulder.

"Thank you, dear." Kravitz held back a laugh, settled for a strained grin. "I know it's _strenuous."_

"Do you want me to carry your dumb bag or not?"

"It's _your_ dumb bag."

Taako's lips flattened into a line. "That's it, I'm putting it back on your arm." He threw the bag back onto Kravitz' shoulder.

Kravitz let out a chuckle, his voice as dry as the sand beneath him. "Oh, no, you're adding _half a pound_ onto my total carrying weight."

"Fine, you fucking asked for it!" Taako knocked his sandals off and climbed on Kravitz' back. Poor man couldn't stop him, weighed down with all of the beach equipment. Taako hooked his legs around Kravitz' hips and laid his chin on top of his head. "Taako's getting a ride!"

"Wh-- _Taako--_ " Kravitz wavered, the weight making him top heavy. The distant sound of Lup and Barry snickering rang in his ears.

Taako tapped Kravitz' cheek. "C'mon, _mush,_ Taako ain't got all day."

Kravitz took a breath. Fine. If this was the game, that's fine. Kravitz could play _games._ His arms did what they could to secure Taako's legs _and_ hold the bags at the same time. He bent his knees, feeling his feet sink into the sand, and started bolting towards the shoreline. Smooth-ass reaper man could carry forty pounds _and_ his boyfriend all the way to the shore and look good doing it.

Except, Kravitz ended up landing face-first in the sand after six steps.

Fuck this corporeal body.

He felt Taako's forehead bonk against the back of his head as they went down (thank _all the gods and goddesses_ he couldn't get a concussion right now). He felt the sand ripple around him. He felt a distinct _crunch_ on his face as he slammed into the ground, and the warm pain that radiated from his nose.

"Fuck--" Taako was up and off of him in seconds, kneeling down near the front of the accident. Kravitz held his hands over the lower half of his face, wincing. Lup ran up towards the action, Barry watching from farther away. Taako took Kravitz' head in his hands. "You alright? Let me see."

Kravitz moved his hands, first wiping away the sand before showing his face. His nose was crooked off to the left and swollen. The bridge of his nose and the skin under his eyes were bright red. When he reached up touch it again, blood came back on his hand.

"Great job, Taako, you broke your man's nose," Lup said, her fingers over the bump on Kravitz' face. She stood up and made a break for the dunes. "Hold on, I'll get Merle. Good thing it happened here, right?"

Taako nodded and took his wand from one of the bags. "Here, I'll levitate this shit to our end of the beach."

Barry whined from his end of the beach. "What about the shit _I'm_   carrying?"

"Break your nose and I'll consider it." Taako cast a quick Levitation spell, the bags and supplies floating around him and following his every move. Taako turned his attention back to his injured boyfriend, freed from the bags. "Are you okay to get up?"

"I--think so."

"Here, grab hold." Taako held out both arms to brace Kravitz.

Kravitz took them, leaning his full weight onto Taako as he stood up. Kravitz couldn't help but be worried after seeing Taako and Lup's reaction to his nose. "Is it bad?"

"You're still handsome, so, no harm done." Taako helped Kravitz up to a full standing position. He swayed in the breeze a little. "If you wanna wait until tomorrow to swim, that's fine."

"I'll have to take you up on that. I'm a little--I think I'm in shock."

"Geez, and I thought _I_   was the delicate one." Taako walked towards the shore, the levitated beach supplies and Kravitz following after him. "Want me to kiss it and make it better?"

"You've already used that joke on me. On the train?" 

"Well, maybe stop scaring me, fucking hell."

"You're scared of me?"

"No, that's dumb." Taako picked up one of the oversized beach umbrellas and set it up as he rambled. "You've just been getting overwhelmed and, now, _injured_ , so, sue me for being worried. A--a--and, fucking, don't forget about that time where cha'boy's _soul_   had to watch you get trapped in Hunger goo and--fucking, had to just _leave you there_ until I summoned your ass during the apocalypse."

"Oh. _Oh,_ that's--" Kravitz didn't know if he should apologize. It technically wasn't his fault? He hadn't realized this was eating at Taako. How much of this was at the front of this mind? Or was this a slip of the tongue, something that Taako would ask him to forget later? He made a mental note to circle back to this conversation when it was more appropriate. Right now, he settled to just...make a promise. "I'll try not to worry you so much, love."

"Yeah, whatever."

Oof, was that. Was that the wrong thing to say?

He didn't have much time to dwell on what he should or shouldn't have said before Taako pressed the wrong clasp on the beach umbrella and force-shut it closed. With him inside. The umbrella tipped over and rolled towards the water.

Three things happened all at once.

First, Barry just fucking _lost_ it. 

Second, Lup ran up to the shore with Merle and a first aid kit.

Third, a large wave came up to crash over Taako, still trapped in his fucking irony umbrella, and sent him into the ocean.

And Kravitz could only stand there. He held his broken nose as Barry laughed his ass off, as more bodies ran to the scene, and as the love of his life and death got swallowed up by the ocean. Good. Great.  _Peachy._ At least Taako didn't need to breathe. Soon enough, Lup and Merle were laughing (apparently, if it was too soon to make umbrella jokes, they didn't get the memo) and Barry went to go fish his brother-in-law out of the ocean. Everyone laughed. It was a hilarious little family romp lifted straight out of some sappy Fantasy Hallmark movie. 

Oh, except, hmm, Kravitz was  _terrified._

Because, sure, _fuck it_ \--Taako didn't need to breathe right now. But a thought tugged at the back of Kravitz' mind, something he hadn't thought of in a long time. He couldn't put his finger on it, but watching Taako careen right into the water signaled a big ol' dangerous warning sign. A giant red flag. Maybe it reminded him of his horrible, no good, very bad Hunger bath during the apocalypse. But, no, it felt farther back than that. Like, maybe, something that happened when he was alive? Fuck, he hadn't thought of that--since he died, really. What did he remember from when he was alive? The--city, he remembered that, he took Taako to his city. It was--winter, just after Candlenights, when all the businesses were still closed and. Fuck.

How did he die, again? 

He remembered the Raven Queen--she told him that she made him forget--was that a normal part of the job? Was he not supposed to remember? Maybe it was a danger if he did. What kind of souls did she usually take into her care? Why was Kravitz one of them? He didn't remember doing much to service her before his death. He didn't remember much at all. The last thing he remembered in life. That was. It was right after Candlenights. When he had gotten the ice skates, a present from his father. And the day after, he had tried them out, but the ice was too thin, and--

"--ou good?"

Kravitz didn't know when he had been laid out on the sand, but now Merle was standing over his head and the rest of the group watched. Taako was out of the umbrella. Merle finished healing Kravitz' nose. Lup and Barry weren't laughing anymore. In fact, everybody was watching Kravitz with concern. Taako was biting his nails so hard he was about to eat his fingers. 

"My nose--"

"It's gonna be fine, kid," Merle said, to the guy that was at least four times older than he was, "Don't touch it."

"Okay." 

"What  _was_ that?" Taako asked.

"I--don't know." Kravitz took in a few deep breaths. "I'm. I'm fine. I think."

"You  _think?"_

"M-aybe not."

Taako was losing more of his cool every second. "Okay, fuck,  _explain."_

"I uh." Kravitz stayed silent for a few seconds. Took him a long time to put his physical feelings into words, like an outdated computer trying to read a modern Word file. "My stomach's--it's twisting, a lot, and something keeps catching in my throat--I don't know what it is, I just feel _ill--_ "

Merle's nose scrunched up. "Great, he's gonna throw up."

"Who wants to take Bone Man back to his room?" Lup asked. 

"I'll do it," Barry said, cutting in before Taako could. "Taako, just--get in the water, don't think about it."

"Don't get in the water--" Kravitz blurted out, holding Taako by whatever limb was closest (ankle?). 

And he must have said it a little too desperately, because the look on Taako's face was nothing short of mortified. Before Taako could act on this, though, Barry grabbed Kravitz' hand and helped him to his feet. It was nice--Barry was a pretty sturdy guy to lean on. The rest of Barry's words rolled over Kravitz' ears as they walked back to Merle's property. Oh, and when Kravitz thought embarrassment was a difficult and unpleasant feeling? That was nothing compared to the way his throat burned after vomiting. 

After that, he fell asleep and tried to ignore the way he kept drowning in his dreams. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> mmmMMMMM this took longer than I thought it would, sorry! had to prepare for twinsweek!!  
> Next time there will be real, actual beach shenanigans instead of hurting kravitz two steps into the sand


	12. Wading

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Kravitz talk. Lup and Kravitz talk. Taako and Kravitz don't talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nothin too bad happens in this chapter, but kravitz does talk about how he died, so....just thought i'd warn ya'll just in case!

Kravitz woke up with a heaving breath. He jolted forward in the bed and clonked his head against the headboard. He groaned, rubbing the crown of his head and sitting upright. The sheets were balled up and bunched around him. Must have kicked them around in his sleep. To his right sat Barry, who would have been surprised if he hadn't already watched Kravitz wake up startled three times in the past hour. Kravitz looked at the time and cursed--he was only asleep for ten minutes that time? Unfair. That dream felt like  _hours._

Barry shifted in the too-plush chair he had pulled up next to the bed. Not startled, but concerned. "You alright?"

"Yes, just--" Kravitz rubbed the bump growing on top of his head. "I'm collecting head injuries today, it seems."

"Want me to try casting sleep on you again?"

"No, the dreams just...come back after the spell wears off." He sat up straighter, back flush against the headboard. Kravitz wasn't groggy, he hadn't slept long enough for that, but his brain felt heavier. "Thanks."

"That's fine." Barry looked out the window. The ocean had gone into low tide earlier. "Can we talk?"

Kravitz tried to smile the nervous feelings away. "I--feel like I don't have much of a choice."

"No, I'm not forcing answers out of you. I'm worried. That's all."

"Oh." Kravitz didn't answer for a few minutes. Stared at the door for a while. It wasn't until he caught Barry nervously twiddling his thumbs out of the corner of his eye until he spoke up again. "I don't see the harm in it. Sure."

"Have you had trouble sleeping before?"

"A little? It started on the train, but I have less trouble when I'm with--" Kravitz' eyes shot open, and he threw back the sheets. He settled on the edge of the bed, facing Barry. "Oh,  _fuck--_ is Taako alright?"

"You're really something." Barry smiled, but there was an edge of concern behind it. "He's off with Lup, somewhere. But I think--uh, maybe we should worry about you right now?"

Kravitz buzzed with nervous energy now, his fingers tapping impatiently on his outer thigh. "I'm--alright."

"You broke your nose, had a panic attack, threw up, and then had four consecutive nightmares in an hour of sleep," Barry said, flat and clinical.

He practically  _snarled_ at that. "It's not as if any of those things could kill me."

"I died from stress during cycle eight." Barry looked frustrated, leaning forward in his seat. "I get that you're not used to taking care of yourself, like,  _physically,_ but this seems like something that could be a problem even after you go back to work."

"I've never had these problems before, I don't expect to have them again."

"You never know."

That broke Kravitz a little. He chewed on the inside of his cheek, worried his thumb into his palm in slow circles. "I'm really not one to complain. You've died--so many more times than I have, one little memory shouldn't bother me so much." He looked out of the window, at the waves crashing onto the shore. "It's  _my job."_

Barry blinked, and his face softened back into an expression that begged to be confided in. "A memory?"

"From when I was alive," Kravitz said, and then added the new caveat, "The first time."

"Have you been holding this back the whole time?"

"No. No, I don't know what I would have done if I--" He gently drew a hand over his nose, still tender from the fall, lost in some train of thought. "It--came back to me. Recently. I had forgotten it before."

"You mean you didn't remember things from your life before?" A flash of worry passed across Barry's face. "Lup and I won't forget anything, will we?"

"No--I believe the Raven Queen only removes memories when it's absolutely necessary. When a soul is too burdened by them to work. You--I think your souls have accepted all of the things that happened to you. I, um. Never had the time to." Kravitz wrung his hands and crossed his ankles over. "I remember vague details: where I grew up, parts of my family, things like that. But, lately, a few things are coming back vivid."

"Like what?"

"How I died, for one thing," he said, eyes fixed on the window, "Little details. People I knew--before. The death is...the worst one, though. Overpowering the others."

Barry moved his chair closer to the bed. "You wanna talk through it?"

"Do you think that would help?"

"We used to talk through the worst deaths at the beginning of the year. Didn't make everything better, but--it's not good to keep it all in." Barry scooted to the edge of the chair and offered both of his hands to Kravitz. "Here."

"Thank you." Kravitz laid his hands in Barry's, thankful for the contact. "Where should I start?"

"Anywhere."

He sifted through what he remembered. The weeks before he died. How happy he was that the entire family visited for Candlenights, except for a couple distant cousins. The cute guy who complimented his legs and asked to watch him skate. He had never skated before; he was more attracted to music than sport. But it was a fancy present from his father and he would be foolish to waste it. It had been warming up, and he wanted to get out on the ice while he still could. "Have you ever drowned?"

"Oh." Barry looked out the window towards the ocean, and then back to Kravitz.  _"Oh."_

"Actually, I'm still not sure what got me first--if it was the drowning or the temperature." Kravitz held tight onto Barry's hands until his fingers turned red. "I--fell. Into a freezing lake."

Barry squeezed back. "What were you doing out?"

"I had received skates as a Candlenights present. My family was...big, and loud, so I didn't have much of a chance to try them out until they left." He smiled, briefly remembering the way his baby niece pulled off all the garlands in the house in an attempt to stand on two feet. He wondered if she made it to the Astral Plane safely. Kravitz looked back up at Barry, reminded of the less comforting memories he was supposed to relay. "But, the weather had warmed up a little bit, and the ice was thinner than I thought it was. And...well, I don't remember what killed me first. It doesn't...matter to me. Not really."

"How did you fall in?"

"I was--" Kravitz' face burned. He couldn't recall the name of the man, but he was the only schoolteacher in town at the time. They had been teasing each other since they were children, usually with Kravitz as the butt of the joke. But he couldn't remember the man's face even if someone took a knife to his throat. "With another man. He offered to teach me to skate. And--well, he was so forward, I couldn't decline."

Barry couldn't help but bark out a laugh. "Only you could die in the middle of a date."

"It wasn't a date." Kravitz chuckled, shaking his head slowly.

After some more laughter, Barry stopped and stared at Kravitz, horrified.  _"You didn't know it was a date."_

Kravitz kept laughing. "It was a  _lesson._   He taught children how to skate all the time. Just business."

"Just like the pottery place was for business, I got it," Barry said. Kravitz suddenly became very interested in watching Barry's hands. Nope. Not going to look him in the eyes. After a moment, Barry asked him another question. "What happened?"

"He...showed me a trick. Jumped off the ice and did a spin. When he landed, he..." Kravitz sighed, holding Barry's hands tighter. "Cracked the ice."

Barry didn't answer. Kravitz kept staring at their hands intertwined.

"And--I don't know what came over me, I. Wasn't thinking, it was stupid. I leapt in after him. I'm not sure if I saved him or not, I still don't know." He held on tighter still, cutting off circulation to Barry's hands. "But when we were down at the beach, I--I don't know what came over me, I--watched Taako fall into the water and..."

"D-do you need to stop?"

"What?" Kravitz looked up at Barry, but his vision was obscured. He brought his hand up to his face and it came back wet. "Oh, I didn't realize. I'm alright."

"If you say so." Barry moved out of the chair to sit next to Kravitz. "Do you need to go back to Neverwinter?"

"I wouldn't want to cut this short, I--" Kravitz let go of Barry to wipe his eyes. It was coming out faster than he could help it. "Taako has been looking forward to it."

"Taako's a grown elf, he and Lup can stay and have a good time together." Barry hesitated a moment before hooking an arm around Kravitz, loose enough that he could break out of the contact. "He wouldn't hold it against you. None of us would, this is--big."

"Honestly, Barry, I--don't like how weak this makes me." Kravitz leaned into the hug. A little difficult because Barry was so much shorter than he was, but he made it work. His eyes were still leaking, but it felt nice to get out. "I'd like to try and stay. See if it gets any better."

Barry pat Kravitz on the back. "Nothing wrong with being a little weak."

"I know. But is it wrong that I would want to try and overcome this? I don't like being tied to my old life. I'd--like to try, at least."

"Guess not. If that's what you really want, that is."

"I do." Kravitz pulled away from the hug, wiping his eyes on his sleeve. "And if it doesn't work, I can say I made an attempt."

"Sure." Barry moved off the bed, fishing through the drawer until he found a handkerchief. He handed it off to Kravitz. "You doing okay?"

"I feel a little better." He took the handkerchief and wiped his face, minding his nose. "Thank you."

Barry sat back in the chair. "You've really never talked about this before?"

"I never--mourned my own death?" Kravitz' eyes still leaked, watery and runny. "The person that trained me had me go to work as soon as I was able."

"Well, if you need to do this again, you know where to find me."

Kravitz opened his mouth to thank Barry again, but was interrupted by a soft knock on the door. Lup's head peeked through seconds later. "Is he awake?"

"I'm surprised she knocked," Kravitz whispered.

"Me too." He let out a huff-laugh. "Yeah, he's up."

"Great," she said, and swung the door open all the way, without any permission. Kravitz wiped the rest of his face off before she could get a good look, but it left the skin around his eyes raw. Lup made a beeline for Barry, situating herself on the arm of his chair. Taako wasn't too far behind her.

"You feeling any better, Ghost Rider?"

"Yes." Kravitz looked up at Taako; his hands were tapping and twitching at his sides. "Are you alright, Taako?"

"Why the fuck are you asking me?" Taako's voice came out louder than Kravitz expected. "Remind me, which one of us got injured and then passed out on the sand?"

"I--" Hot shame filled Kravitz' cheeks--that didn't make much sense. He had no reason to be embarrassed. Still, he couldn't bring himself to look Taako in the eye. "You looked distressed, so I asked. It's worrying to see you on edge like this."

"Worry about yourself, I'm  _great."_ Taako walked towards the window. Lup pulled hard on his earring as he passed. "OW--Lup, fuck off!"

She hummed. "You're being an ass."

"Not my fault."

"It absolutely is."  

"I don't need you giving me  _advice,_ Lup."

"Maybe you wouldn't if you'd calm the fuck down."

The two weren't shouting as much as they were simmering. That hot shame came back to hit Kravitz full force--was this his fault? He didn't want to come between the twins at all, ever. The two went back and forth, and all Kravitz could do was listen.

"Hey, are you okay to eat, Kravitz?" Barry got out of his chair, glaring towards the twins. "You threw up pretty bad, but, if you're good now, you might be hungry?"

Kravitz straightened his back. "Uh--my stomach feels fine."

"Great, let's go find Merle."

"Would he want to have dinner with the person who turned his arm to crystal?"

"He's more mad at Magnus for cutting it off." Barry held out a hand for Kravitz. He took it, and stumbled over Barry as he stood up. Once he was stable, Barry made his way to the door. "Come on."

Lup took two steps to follow him. "Hey, not going to wait for us?"

"Honestly, you two, he's rattled enough." Both twins shut their mouths, Lup confused and Taako enraged. Barry gestured for Kravitz to follow him. "Let's go."

Once Kravitz closed the door, he could hear the twins bickering again, but quieter and more careful. Barry cut a path down the hall, like a man on a mission. Kravitz lagged behind him, too nervous to say anything. They got halfway down the hallway before Kravitz brought up the courage to speak. "Barry, are  _you_ alright?"

"I'm fine. Just didn't think it was fair for you to have to listen to that." Barry didn't look at Kravitz. Kept walking at an even pace, head forward. "Been through enough today already."

"You seem upset."

"I mean, it's not that hard to read the room--could they stop that shit for  _five minutes?"_   Barry stopped walking, rubbing his eyes. "Taako's irritated for  _whatever_ reason, Lup's way of taking him down is so fucking  _rowdy--_ Just. Felt like a lot. Didn't want to throw you into another fit."

"It doesn't bother me. I--like the energy."

"Still felt like too much. You just got done with--" He groaned, and waved his hands in a vague gesture. "You know, our whole conversation."

"The worst part was the feeling that I had made the two of them fight." Kravitz looked back towards the door. "I can deal with rowdy."

"Trust me, when they're like that, it's never about what you think it is. I've been caught in that before." Barry sighed. "I'll--talk to Lup about it. Let's go eat and forget about it, alright?"

"Alright." Kravitz walked ahead, even though he wasn't sure where Merle was. "You're sure Merle doesn't hold anything against me?"

"Doesn't have the ability to."

"But he's angry at Magnus."

"Well, yeah." Barry laughed. "Magnus  _cut his arm_ off. That's crazy."

* * *

Things had calmed down from the day before. Kravitz didn't sleep well; ended up sleeping alone because of his incident. He woke up at least four times overnight, his sleep interrupted by more drowning dreams. Taako hadn't apologized for his outbursts, but there was a plate of croissants sitting outside Kravitz' door that morning. Close enough.

Barry asked more than a few times if Kravitz was okay with going back to the ocean. Every time, he said yes, but it didn't seem as if Barry believed him until he walked out of the room in swimwear. Not that he was going to do any swimming--but sand in trouser socks is not a good look. The twins simmered over breakfast, still on edge from the day before. Still, it wasn't as bad. Lup kept eyeing Barry, and came into conversations with Kravitz a little more carefully. Taako just pretended nothing happened.

As Kravitz set up the umbrella (Taako and Lup both emphasized how much they  _weren't_ going to fuck with it), Taako walked towards him with a board. "I'm gonna catch some of those good waves, you okay with that?"

"Yes, um--" Kravitz fiddled with the umbrella, pointedly avoiding eye contact. Was he miffed? A little. "I won't freak out. About you going into the water."

Taako nodded, and then peaced out into the ocean. As soon as he was out of hearing range, Lup jumped in front of Kravitz. She grinned wide and held a plastic bucket and spade in her hands.

"Hey, Ghost Rider, help a girl out?" Sounded more like a command than a question.

"What do you need?"

"Dig a hole with me."

Kravitz blinked, his eyes on Lup's little bucket. "...Is this for some kind of prank, or--"

"No, I just want to know how far down the sand goes." She pointed to the ground. "I'm curious."

"How far..." Kravitz poked his foot into the sand. It went all the way in. "...the sand goes?"

"Yeah." Lup stepped in the sand, shifting her weight from one foot to the other in a rapid pattern.

_"Huh."_

"What?"

Kravitz shrugged. "I've just never thought about it."

_"Right?"_   Her grin turned wild, head cocked to the side. "You in, or what?"

He couldn't help but laugh. "I wasn't expecting to do hard labor on a beach vacation, but sure."

Lup shoved one of those little plastic spades into Kravitz' hands. The kind used for sand castles. He half-expected her to make him do all the work, but she held a second one in her hands and knelt down in the sand. She used the spade to trace a five-foot diameter circle in the sand. "Want to try it here?"

Kravitz nodded and knelt down next to her. He started digging in the middle of the circle. Lup shared the work evenly. The work was mindless, but it had a calming effect on Kravitz. Didn't have to think about anything. Lup seemed to be doing something similar, just allowing the work to occupy her brain. About a foot into digging, they realized that the sand on the edges was leaking out into their digging area. Lup handed her little sand bucket to Kravitz.

"Are you...like,  _good_ to go fill this with water?"

"That shouldn't be a problem." He wouldn't be  _in_ the water. How bad could it be? He took the bucket and walked towards the shore. His legs felt heavy as he came closer, but the sight in the water was enough that he could ignore it. Taako was out on his board, waiting for waves to come up, and  _fuck,_ he was beautiful. Had that weird crunchy Taako surfer vibe going, but he made it  _work._ Hair wasn't made up in any fancy braids, but hung wet on his shoulders. Sand already clung to it in clumps. And the trunks were pretty basic for Taako, but something about that was charming. Must be how Taako felt when he saw Kravitz in casual wear.

Almost made Kravitz forget about yesterday's outburst entirely. 

But, no, he could hold a grudge. Didn't matter how delicious the croissants were, Taako hadn't apologized.

Barry just floated there, watching clouds go by. Kravitz watched the water, exponentially more nervous now that he was actually  _here._ He knelt down and waited for the water to hit the bucket.

"You'll, uh, need to scoot up closer," Taako said, noticing Kravitz' hesitation. "You need any help?"

"I'm certain I can manage this much." He inched towards the water, warm seafoam passing over his feet. Good; he'd probably pass out if it was cold.

"You makin' something with Lup?"

"Yes." Kravitz scooped the bucket into the water. He accidentally got a bunch of sand in there, too, but enough of it was water for it to be successful. He spoke evenly, trying to sound detached. "A big hole."

"Sweet." Taako smiled, an attempt to be more gentle than the day before. "Good job, by the way."

That was  _definitely_ a surprise. Did somebody talk some sense into Taako? He was being  _nice._ A bit of the performed detachment fell off of Kravitz. _Fuck,_ couldn't he pretend to stay mad for  _five minutes?_

"Thanks." Kravitz backed away from the water, face red. "See you later?"

Taako waved, and turned his attention back to Barry. Kravitz ran back to the hole. Lup had already made some more progress without him.

"Great, thanks!" She wet her hands and packed the sand around the edges of the hole. It held together well enough, although it was delicate; could break apart with enough force. Kravitz did more of the digging now as Lup treated the sides, the two falling into a silent rhythm. Like digging a well--good thing sand was fairly easy to move. Lup broke the silence once their heads were level with the entrance of the hole.

"Hey, uh." Lup knocked her hip against his. Kind of an awkward maneuver in a five-foot wide hole, but she managed to make it work. "Sorry for yesterday. Barry said you were talking about something pretty heavy? Didn't know."

"It's not a problem." Kravitz flung a spade full of sand over his shoulder. "All that happened--I remembered how I died. That's it."

"Oh, shit." Lup frowned. She stopped her work for a few moments, choosing her words. "You good?"

"Yes. Barry talked me through it."

"He's good at that." She smiled, then went back to her work. "You don't have to tell me, but...what happened?"

"I fell into a freezing lake right after Candlenights." His voice shook a little as he said it, but he practiced saying it in front of the mirror the night before. Kravitz was determined to  _fucking accept_ this, not like the thousands of souls he's had to break the news to.

"Damn, should we--" Lup frowned, poked her head above the hole to watch Taako for a second, and then came back down. "Do you need to leave?"

"No! No, that's the last thing I want to do." Kravitz threw more sand over the lip of the hole. Lup watched him curiously, head tilted and confused. "Honestly, I'm determined to--conquer it? The uneasy feeling I get near the water, I mean. Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah, dude, that's fucking rad!" Lup hit him on the shoulder, light and playful. "Good for you."

"Thanks." He turned to keep digging, but Lup shoved the bucket in his hands again.

"Can you go get some more water?"

Kravitz knew she was asking him to fetch the water for his own benefit. It was a non threatening way to get him closer to the shore. He appreciated the gesture--it definitely helped. Each time he made it back to the water, he was greeted by Taako and Barry. Once, Taako had just come down from a wave, laughing and shaking kelp out of his hair, and it took all his willpower for Kravitz not to run into the waves and kiss him breathless.

Okay, maybe Kravitz couldn't hold a grudge.

He was still concerned. Taako was capital-u Upset yesterday, and completely fine today? Even for Taako, that was strange. And, somewhere in his mind, Kravitz wanted more of an apology than a delicious pastry. He wasn't too hung up on that one, though; Taako never used words to apologize before, this wasn't any different. Kravitz may as well take the high road and not worry so much about a formal apology.

The fourth time Lup sent him over, Taako stood hip-deep in the water. Kravitz was only a few feet from him now, and waved as he approached. Taako waved back, and offered an explanation before Kravitz even asked. "Lookin' for Barry's glasses."

"Oh." Kravitz looked down in the water. He saw the glasses swirling around the waves, halfway between him and Taako. Kravitz pointed. "They're right--right there."

"Where?" Taako combed the area where Kravitz pointed, but wasn't close enough to shore to see it.

"Right--" Kravitz steeled himself and walked into the waves. Luckily, he only had to go knee-deep to retrieve the glasses. He held them out to Taako. "Here."

"Hey, look at you!" Taako let out a low whistle. He waded through the water until he met Kravitz. "How's it feel?"

"Pr-pretty good." He laid Barry's glasses into Taako's hands. He called out to Barry and threw them over, refusing to let go of Kravitz. Taako scanned his face, lost in some thought. Kravitz looked out into the water and squeezed Taako's hands. The water  _was_   nice. Saltwater had a different texture than bathwater. The whole beach experience was so far removed from his iced death. Kravitz felt like he could push it a little more. "This is a strange request, but--can you...walk me farther in?"

"How far?"

"Maybe waist-deep? I don't know if I could make it that far, but it's worth trying."

"If you can get to the waist or farther, I'll give you somethin' nice." He winked, stepping backwards slowly. Kravitz followed behind. They didn't let go of each other's hands, just slowly wading farther in the water. Barry watched from a few feet away, and Lup popped her head out of the hole to offer encouragement. Kravitz focused more on Taako, squeezing his hands tighter the deeper in they went. Funny thing, he didn't feel as afraid as he thought he would. With Taako guiding him, he even felt safe.

"You doing okay?" Taako asked, when they made it to the waist.

"Yes." Kravitz offered a smile. "Can we go farther?"

"Really want that reward, don't'cha?" Despite his jabbing, Taako took slow steps and asked questions the whole way back. Lup or Barry must have knocked some sense into him--this was a different Taako than the night before. And, sure, Kravitz was a grown man. He knew this wouldn't work if he only loved Taako when things were good, but that didn't stop him from melting when he came across these soft Taako moments. He made it a point in his mind to talk about yesterday's incident in detail, but. He wasn't going to let that ruin this moment.

When they made it chest-deep into the water, Kravitz stopped. "This is--this is it for me, I think."

"Way farther than I thought you'd make it, though." Taako nudged Kravitz so he would move back one step. The water came up to Kravitz' sternum, but Taako was submerged to the shoulders.

"It's--not as bad as I thought it would be. My feet are still touching the bottom." Kravitz bit his tongue before he could add,  _and you're here._  "I think I'll pass on the swimming lessons, though."

"Fine, you can admire me from afar instead."

"Can't I do that from right here?"

"Hope you'd do more than just  _admire_ me if you're up this close." Taako grinned, leaning in close. "But hey, if that's what you're into, I'm not stopping you."

And, damn--how could Kravitz  _not_ kiss him after that? 

It was something fast and impulsive, nothing special. Wasn't in the mood, really, for anything more than something quick and cute (alright, maybe he  _could_  hold a grudge). As he pulled away, Taako whined and crept in from another one, but Kravitz stopped him. "Shouldn't you be getting back to your  _island time?"_

Taako could only pout at that. He seemed to be doing a few mental calculations, eyebrows woven so tight they could have come out of Istus' tapestry. Soon enough, he found his response. "Hey, uh, can we meet up later to tal--"

Before he could finish, a wave crashed over his head and into Kravitz' face. A sharp pain ran down Kravitz' spine as he ran towards the shore, pulling Taako alongside him. Taako broke out of the grip when the water reached his shins, but Kravitz kept running until both feet were firmly placed on dry sand. 

"Are you kidding me? Did I just get cockblocked by  _the ocean?"_ Taako groaned, but panicked once he saw Kravitz wasn't laughing. "Wait, fuck--are you okay?"

Kravitz took in shallow breaths, unable to get his lungs fully inflated. 

"You alright, Kravitz?" Barry asked, walking out of the water.

"F-fine, I just. Don't like the water going above my face." He stood up straight, finally able to take in some good breaths. "I'm. Going back to the hole. Can you, uh..."

"I'll keep that in mind." Taako grabbed the plastic bucket and filled it with water. He handed it to Kravitz. "Go on, get back in the nerd hole."

Lup shouted from the hole. "Fuck you, Taako, it's not a nerd hole if  _I'm_ in it."

"I'm pretty sure cool people don't care about what's  _underneath_ sand, Lup!"

Kravitz stood in place for a few seconds. Something tugged at his mind, not allowing him to go back into the hole just yet. He needed an answer. "Taako, what were you saying before the waves came?"

Taako waved the thought away, already halfway back in the water. "Nothin', Krav, don't worry about it."

There was that grudge again. Why couldn't Taako give him a plain answer for once? Obviously something was wrong. Kravitz wasn't dumb. He knew when Taako was trying to distract him. And that--that was just rude, wasn't it? He didn't need to be treated like a  _child,_ if something was wrong he wanted to know. Did Taako think he couldn't handle it? The thought of that alone made steam rise out of Kravitz' ears. 

"What's eatin' you, Bone Zone?"

He was back in the hole. Kravitz didn't remember climbing back in, and he  _certainly_ didn't remember shoveling out two more feet of sand. Lup had carved little footholds in the sides of the hole--oh, wow, the hole must have been seven feet deep already. When did  _that_  happen? 

"Uh. I'm--not sure what you're talking about?"

"You haven't said a word since you got this last bucket of water." Lup frowned, and forced the spade out of Kravitz' hands. "Is my brother being an ass again?"

"I just--think he's holding back from saying something."

_"Oh?"_

"Not what you're thinking." Kravitz looked up at the entrance of the hole. Trapped with his boyfriend's identical twin--great. "Something's bothering him, and I wish he'd, you know. Talk about it?"

"You'll just have to keep asking until he talks. Taako's stubborn." Lup stepped backwards, her back against the wall of the hole. "What's _really_   eating you?"

Kravitz stayed silent for a few moments. Would he look bad if he talked about this with Lup? He didn't want her to think he wasn't a good fit for Taako. Quietly, the words slipped out before Kravitz could think on them any farther. "I just wish he'd trust me with this."

Lup laughed. "I wish he'd talk to  _me_ before shit got bad, you kidding?" She watched the look on his face, and sighed. "I promise, he trusts you. It just takes a  _lot_ to get him to talk--feels like all the stars have to align before he loosens up. And you're still pretty early in together. He can get nervous."

"Taako? Nervous?" Kravitz laughed a little at that.

"You'll learn to notice it." She laughed too, waving her hand. "If it makes you feel any better--"

Lup was interrupted by a low rumbling sound and a panicked yell from Taako.

"Oh,  _FUCK--"_

Kravitz and Lup looked up towards the entrance of the hole. Before they could decide to climb out and check what was wrong, they heard another cry from Barry. A few sounds of spells going off. More rumbling. The walls of their sand-well shook. Lup pressed her back to one of the sides to brace it, and Kravitz followed suit. Small flakes of sand fell on their heads, but that was the least of their problems. Lup abandoned her attempt to support the side of the wall in favor of holding onto Kravitz, shouting words of comfort that he couldn't comprehend. 

He froze once he saw why Lup had grabbed him.

Water spilled into the hole, filling it almost instantaneously and submerging Lup and Kravitz from head to toe.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone, did you think i'd let you get out of this fic without CONFLICT??? no, you FOOLS, the fluff was only a DISTRACTION


	13. Lashing Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz and Taako fight.

Taako fucked up.

Taako _fucked_ up.

That wasn't anything new. Taako was creative with all the different ways he fucked up. Never fuck up the same way twice, that's the Taako Way™. First he lost his sister, and then he _forgot_ about her, and then he carted her around as an accessory for a year and a half. Let forty people die. Stole shoes from Merle's relatives. Turned Magnus into a tube. Scared Barry so much he almost lost himself. Shot Ren in the bank. Made a bratty magic boy cry.

So it was...weird when he'd fuck up around this _incredibly handsome_ man and still get to spend time with him. Taako accidentally transmuted their wine into gogurt on their second date and Kravitz _laughed,_ wondered out loud where Taako had found wine with such _texture._ He knew he had fucked up when he asked Kravitz to stay the night on the third date, because Kravitz had declined; he wasn't expecting the dude to spend half an hour telling him _no, Taako, I still want to see you again, I just want to slow down._ Taako thought it was over when he admitted he didn't love him back, but Kravitz said he understood, no hard feelings, they'd work something out. He fucked up in big ways, small ways, stupid ways--every time, Kravitz told him it was alright. Taako fucked up, but Kravitz was patient.

Nice deal, right?

Not that Taako was easy to date. He'd be confessing his deepest vulnerabilities halfway through the first date one minute, and then shutting out any form of communication the next. But, somehow, Kravitz was able to navigate through that and still be able to enjoy it. Taako wasn't about to question that at all. He did what he could to fill in the gaps where his words _should_ have gone. Knew Kravitz had a big ol' sweet tooth and indulged that mercilessly. Figured out early on that Kravitz craved contact, and, hey, same for Taako. Funny how that worked out. Every once in a while he'd say something wrong, but that was fine because Taako knew his way around an apology croissant.

Kravitz deserved better, but. If he's stuck around this long, that's his own damn fault. Isn't it?

As long as Taako wasn't directly harming Kravitz, everything was good, right?

But then Taako _had_ to cast a spell to make waves come, because he was _impatient,_ and the waves he _was_ getting weren't _big enough._ He didn't expect the spell to put the ocean into high tide. _Fuck, wait, how close did Lup and Kravitz dig that hole--_

Taako could barely stumble out an, "Oh, _FUCK--"_    before water poured over the hole. The sand ruptured, causing the edges of the hole to sink in on itself, trapping Lup and Kravitz inside. He and Barry scrambled over to the hole as fast as they could, levitating sand out of the way. Lup tried to claw her way out once the hole was clear of sand, but Kravitz was dead weight on her. She refused to let go of him, but she couldn't make the jump out of the hole. Best she could do was keep both their heads above the water.

Barry grabbed her arm with both hands, but the ground wasn't solid enough for him to get a firm foot on the ground. When he pulled, all he did was kick sand into the hole and sink lower into the ground. Taako was using a lot of spell slots on levitation, but he had enough in him to lift Lup and Kravitz out of the hole. Both coughed. Lup shook sand out of her hair--obviously shaken, but putting on a brave face. Kravitz still hung on her like he was dying. Oh, shit-- _was_   he dying?

The two sat down on the sand, still wet from the waves, until Kravitz broke away from the embrace. He was hyperventilating, wheezing, gasping for breath. Clutched the sand like it was grass. He shook, hands on his head, head between his legs. Fuck, was he wet from the water or was he _sweating?_ Not a good sight.

All Taako wanted to do was comfort Kravitz; to take him in his arms and hold him, kiss him, do _something._ Taako may have been _shit_ with words, but he knew he could solve this with a little smooch and some cooing. That's exactly what Taako did--or, what Taako _tried_ to do.

"Don't--" Kravitz pushed him away with his foot, choking back a sob. "Don't touch me."

Well, _shit._

This was going to take a lot of croissants.

Luckily, Taako couldn't think too much on how much those words _devastated_ him, because seconds later Lup had her arms around him. She didn't break easy, but she was mumbling something about _dark space_ and _umbrella_   and _fuck, fuck, she probably felt so **trapped** \--_

Comforting Lup came easy. Two and a half centuries glued to each other's hips and they knew each other more than they knew themselves. He knew how to take her down. What to say, what to do? That came naturally. He glanced at Kravitz out of the corner of his eye, cursing himself for not being able to help him in the same way. At least he could see Barry gently whispering encouragements to him. That would have to do for now.

Lup squeezed Taako in one more hug before she moved over to Barry. He held her the same way Taako did, not as perfectly attuned to her thoughts but pretty fucking close. Seemed like she needed to be reminded that she wasn't _alone._ Fair enough. Gave Taako an excuse to turn back to Kravitz.

"Uh--so--" He blanked. Couldn't touch him, but what the hell was he supposed to say? Everything he thought of felt hollow and fake. He figured he should go for something light-hearted. A little joke? Would that work? "Hey, uh--so--good thing you didn't get thrown back into your spooky ghost house, huh? Like, sucks that you can actually die now, but, we got'cha, right?"

That was, without a doubt, the worst thing he could have said.

Kravitz cursed, stood up, wavered, and stormed off away from the beach.

Taako sprang to his feet, voice wavering. "Where are you going?"

"Back to the room." _That_ was a tone of voice he hadn't heard from Kravitz before. "Don't follow me."

Oh, _fuck that._

After Taako made sure Lup was safe with Barry, he set off to find out where Kravitz had run to.

* * *

Merlegaritaville was still pretty new--Merle was one of the popular birds, one with an _establishment._ Dude knew how to party. Had the points to show for it. No matter how busy it was, though, he always had room for his friends. One of the reasons Merlegaritaville rose in fame was precisely because celebrities stayed there--if someone caught the sight of one of the birds, it'd make their _year._ Taako found Kravitz pacing the hallway outside their Merlegaritaville room. Thankfully, nobody else was in the hall right now. The carpet was matted by the sand and water coating his feet. Made it easy to find him. Kravitz ran over the carpet three, four times before he noticed Taako at the other end of the hall.

What Taako expected: Sobbing, shaking, maybe a little Cockney--some cute vulnerable shit that he could smooth over with a bit of boyfriend comfort. Maybe he'd let him in on why he _passed out_ the day before. Still didn't have the answer to that one. Barry didn't tell him.

What Taako _got_ was unhinged anger that he hadn't seen since their first meeting in Lucas' crystal hell-lab.

"What part of _don't follow me_   was unclear to you?"

Before, when he was angry, he was encased in crystals or melted into a skeleton. Here, though--Kravitz' face was twisted in pain and annoyance and malice. His skin wrinkled between his eyes, around his mouth--scrunched up in an anger that he hadn't shown in his flesh construct before. Taako's stomach dropped into his feet. "Kravitz--"

"Actually, fuck, I don't care--I have _quite_ the bone to pick with you." Kravitz stopped pacing, moving towards him with fire in his eyes, an accusatory finger pointed straight at Taako's chest. He spoke again before Taako could joke about having a _bone_ to pick. "You couldn't--you couldn't wait _five minutes_   for another wave to roll on by?"

Determined to make light of the situation, Taako placed a hand on his chest and rolled his eyes. "What makes you think it was me?"

Kravitz _gawked_ and simply gestured, both palms up, towards Taako.

Taako's whole body went rigid in response. "Well, that's--"

_"Was it?"_

His lip quivered for a second, betraying the detached and playful mask Taako used for arguments. "It was, but I didn't know it would throw the entire _ocean_ into tide!" He huffed, cursing to himself. "Lup should'a dug her hole farther out."

"No, hold on--you want to blame the person who dug the hole, and not the person who magically threw water into it?"

Taako groaned. "I didn't do it on _purpose,_ geez, it was an accident!"

"That doesn't matter, you still _hurt_ me, do you understand that?" The anger in his voice cracked, hinting at something bigger behind it.

"Yeah, and that wasn't fun, but you're all better now!" Taako reached up to pat Kravitz on the shoulder, but he slapped the hand away.

For a second, Kravitz looked like he regret that. His voice cracked again, tinged now with some weakness. "No I'm not! I feel--like I'm about to melt into a puddle of goo, Taako, I do _not_ feel good right now."

"Full HP though," Taako said, shooting finger-guns.

"That's not--" Kravitz raised his voice once more, bringing his hands to his head. "You really don't apologize for anything, do you?"

"Uh, I apologized to you _this morning."_ His lips were smiling, but his eyes were screaming. "Never heard of an apology croissant?"

"No, nobody's ever heard of that. You made it up." He dragged out the last sentence, speaking slowly. If his voice had a temperature, it would flash-freeze the air around him. "To avoid apologies."

"Gets the point across, don't it?"

_"NO!"_ Kravitz took three steps back from Taako, yelling loud enough for people in other rooms to hear. "No, it doesn't, it _confuses_ me and now I associate _croissants_   with unpleasant feelings!"

"Still counts." Taako backed up towards their door, fumbling for the room key. It would be bad if vacationers saw him fighting with some random man--Kravitz wasn't in the broadcast, they wouldn't know why he would be fighting with _Taako from TV._

"It absolutely doesn't." Kravitz snatched the key, slammed it through the lock and walked inside the room; the action felt like a glove to the face. He was looking for a fight now. "If you put a little note under it that said 'hey, sorry for yelling after you asked if I was okay,' that'd be one thing. I wouldn't have enjoyed it, but, fuck, that would be better than silence! Better than--you pretending like it didn't even happen!" He held the door. Taako walked through before Kravitz could slam it in his face. Once both men were inside, Kravitz shut the door. Quietly. Didn't want to fuck up Merle's property. "Better than--fuck, Taako, you didn't even _ask_ what was wrong!"

"I thought we were _good,_ like, you didn't bring it back up either!" Taako walked further into the room and drew the curtains closed. Nobody needed to see this. "It's never been a problem before."

"It--has, it's always been a problem, but I didn't--" Kravitz let out a long breath. "I didn't want to upset you."

Taako laughed. "So when _I_ don't talk, it's a problem, but when _you_ do it, it's fine?"

"Please take this seriously, Taako." The fight in his words left, leaving only exhaustion and regret. "You're twisting my words."

"I don't think I am? Sounds like you're being kind of a hypocrite there."

"I'm not insinuating that this entire thing is your fault, but..." He let out another breath and sat on the bed. "I think we have a problem."

"Well. Shit, uh." Taako traced the edges of the curtains with his fingers. He's had _this_ conversation before. He didn't think he'd be having it with Kravitz, but... "I guess that's it?"

"What?"

Taako shrugged. "Like, you don't want to do this anymore?"

"Do what?"

_"Us?"_

"Wh--" Kravitz stood, face burning red. "Taako, I don't want to _break up_ with you! You--know I love you, right?"

Eighty-fou--wait, _what the fuck?_   He was yelling at the top of his lungs two minutes ago, and now he was re-affirming his love?

"Then what the fuck _do_ you want?" Taako asked--not accusatory, but confused.

"I want you to meet me halfway, sometimes!" He spoke a mile a minute, and Taako could _see_ his head spinning. "I want to feel like we're working _together_ instead of standing in the goddamned relationship puzzle void trying to decode Taako's feelings!"

Taako pursed his lips, gears turning in his head. Was he forgetting something? "I was--we talked! I did that! Didn't I?"

"You told me something about yourself, and made yourself vulnerable, and I--that was _great,_ Taako. But you told me something _positive."_ The heat in his argument left. Calm enough to speak rationally, but there was still an edge that wasn't usually there. "Even if--even when it's bad. I'd like to know."

"That's--" Taako frowned. "Why?"

"So we can work through it instead of--" Kravitz gestured between the two of them. "This?"

"I'm not good at it." Taako walked away from the curtains and towards the bed. He wasn't digging his thumb into his palm on purpose, but his nerves forced him to. "Talking through this shit."

"I--understand." Like a student trying to read Shakespeare, Kravitz studied Taako's face. Didn't do much good. "What do you want?"

"Huh?"

"Do..." The words died in his throat a few times until he could squeak out, "Do _you_ want to break up?"

Taako's first thought was _no._ Hell no. Fuck no. No, nope, _never._ His second thought was internal screaming. His third thought was _wait, hold on, isn't it bad if we stay together? He just yelled at me. I almost drowned him._ The rest of his thoughts were of similar caliber, flickering between _break up with him, **now,**_ and _it would really suck if **Kravitz** left._

Something in Taako's chest clicked into place.

He saw the difference between, "it would suck if I was single again," and, "I don't want to lose _Kravitz."_   The difference between, "I'd be lonely," and, "I'd miss _Kravitz."_   The difference between waking up in an empty bed and waking up without _Kravitz._ It was a subtle difference to an outsider, but to Taako it was the difference between _disappointment_ and _disaster._ He realized that if the two broke up, he might never see Kravitz again. His heart ached at the thought. Kravitz wasn't just a pretty face, or a hot bod, or a cool piece of arm candy that Taako could bring to parties as a fun accessory. Kravitz was the full-bodied laugh after a poorly-constructed bone joke. Kravitz was the sly smile followed after a hustle he set up with Lup. Kravitz was the seething anger after reading Merle's death bounty. Kravitz was the sparkling eyes after being kissed for the first time in _hundreds_ of years. Kravitz was the wet face and dry eyes that sat across from Barry. The person Taako woke up to. The one Taako let stay. The reason Taako worried. And, now, Kravitz was the man with the raspy, tired voice that sat next to Taako with his heart in his hands. Asking if Taako wanted out. Giving him an exit, if he needed it.

"I feel like--like it's the end, and that I _should?"_   Taako sat on the bed. "But no, I don't _want_ to. I don't want to stop." He threw his face into his hands. "That's--selfish, isn't it?"

"It--isn't, that's. Good." Kravitz sat next to him.

"Good? Krav, honey, dearest, _darling--"_ Taako sighed overdramatically, wildly gesturing and getting up in Kravitz' face--not accusing, but playful. "Did you clock out for this entire conversation? We're--like, this is a fight, right? We're fighting? How the fuck is it _good_ that I want to stay?"

Kravitz simply tilted his head to the side. "You know couples fight without breaking up all the time, right?" 

Taako sat as still as stone.

"I wish you'd...trust me? With your feelings. Good or bad."

"Yeah, fucking _same."_   When Kravitz raised a brow at him, Taako waved his hand and kept going. "Like, obviously you haven't been telling me shit? And I'm just hearing about this now? But I also mean that, like, I wish _I_ could talk about this shit naturally."

"I'm not expecting you to be able to overnight," Kravitz said, looking towards the curtains, "But I would appreciate it if you...tried working on it? And I promise to work on my problems, as well."

Taako watched his feet, kicking them against the side of the bed. He took in the deepest breath he could manage (which, granted, was a lot--didn't need to breathe out, so he could fill his lungs to full capacity) and spoke softly. "I'm--sorry. For yelling. And I'm sorry for creating a wave with magic and almost drowning you." 

"Thank you." He didn't smile, but he gave Taako one polite nod. "I apologize for yelling as well, and for keeping my problems from you."

"Why did you...freak out so hard when I fell into the ocean?"

"I died in the water." Kravitz swallowed, cursed, and then rubbed his eye. "I'm still sorting through that memory, but--"

Taako's eyes widened and he stood up. "Well, wait, _fuck--_ then why are we at the _ocean_ right now?"

"I didn't remember until recently. It's a long story, I'll--tell you later?" Kravitz stood with him. "I think I should go back to Neverwinter."

"Yeah, we can cut the trip short--"

"No!" Kravitz crossed his arms. "I can take the train myself."

"You'd be alone at the house for a week, come on."

"I think I need that." He looked away from Taako, frowning. "I'm still--angry. I need to sort myself out. We need to talk, the two of us, and. Well. I don't want to be angry for that. I don't want to blow up at you again."

"What--didn't we just talk? Right now?"

"I--I want to set some boundaries. And I can imagine you want more details on what happened yesterday. I need some time to cool down before addressing either of those."

"That's--fair." Taako certainly wasn't looking _forward_  to that conversation, but at least he had time to prepare himself. "Here, uh--let me help you pack?"

"Thank you."

The two stayed fairly silent as they packed Kravitz' things, only stopping to ask questions or give requests ("Krav, leave one of your shirts for me."  "Why?"  "You know why, don't push it."). Kravitz ended up with one bag and some luggage that Taako wasn't going to use for the rest of the week. He still recoiled at any sort of touch that Taako attempted, but assured him it was only because of his sour mood. Taako had walked him to the station, too, bought his tickets. He would only have to wait an hour at the station. Taako offered to wait with him, but Kravitz declined.

"I need some time to myself, Taako."

Taako pouted. "Will you call me when you get there?"

"I don't know."

"I would be worried if you didn't," Taako said, the words falling out naturally. _Okay, great, why couldn't you have done that earlier, you big dumb idiot?_

Kravitz smiled, just slightly. "I'll call."

"Good." This was the part where Taako was supposed to leave, but his legs didn't let him. "Do I get a kiss goodbye?"

"That might not be the best idea right now," Kravitz said, although he looked like he _really_ wanted to. But that was a firm negative, so Taako didn't press farther.

"Okay." He turned to leave. "See you in a week?"

"See you in a week. I'm--sorry, again, for blowing up." Kravitz looked to the floor, and then directly at Taako. "I love you."

Eighty-five.

The words _me too_ laid on Taako's tongue, but didn't leave his mouth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *rushes in at the end of valentine's day* WHO WANTS TO WATCH THIS BEAUTIFUL COUPLE FIGHT????  
> happy valentine's day, everyone!!! did you know i'm a chapter behind and NEXT chapter was actually supposed to come out today??? mmm it's a real sweet one, so, let's pretend that i got it out in time, huh?? (just kidding, this chapter was NECESSARY and i'm SORRY FOR HURTING KRAVITZ)  
> in the meantime please accept these two guys accepting the fact that they have Problems and Promise to Work Through Them Together and They Still Love Each Other But Love Takes Work And People Mess Up Sometimes


	14. Distance Makes the Heart Grow...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako finally talks things out with Kravitz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no warnings for this chapter, but it is longer than normal, so if you got the notification that a chapter went up and it's nighttime where you live.........omg, wait until morning to read this, don't get sleep deprived over my fic (I'M CALLING YOU OUT, theninthmember!!!! GO TO BED)

It was a restless week for Taako. Kravitz may have needed the alone time, and Taako was more than willing to let that happen, but he wasn't taking it well. He found himself replaying the fight in his head too many times to count--used it as a conduit for meditation one night. Breathing now unnecessary, he sat underwater watching fish while he stewed. Didn't end up doing much surfing. It didn't feel right to fuck off and have fun with someone missing. Kravitz' absence was an eye-opening experience, really--something about, you don't know what you have until you lose it? Taako hadn't realized how much he weaved Kravitz into his daily routines, how much he relied on him. The hole he left wasn't as big as when Lup left, but it was larger than Taako expected--he hadn't known Kravitz his whole life, barely a fraction of it. Why did it bother him so _much?_

Barry and Lup made shockingly accurate guesses of Taako's woes, and instead of the teasing he _expected_ from the two, he got genuine concern and good insight. Lup didn't even tease him when he came down for breakfast wearing Kravitz' shirt one morning. Barry recalled his first Big Fight with Lup, in which the two couldn't figure out a fair sleep/meditation arrangement and Barry didn't sleep for a week out of spite. Lup laughed and reminded him of the time they "broke up" because the Elvish phrase "tired of this" sounds phonetically similar to the Common phrase "want coffee," and Lup was too groggy to understand that Barry was offering her a nice morning beverage. Taako laughed until he remembered his fight, and then he stared into the wall, and then Barry and Lup quickly changed the subject. 

He thought of the conversation he'd have to have with Kravitz soon. Played different versions of it in his head. What would Kravitz say? What would he ask for? How drastically would things change? And--would it ever be the same? Taako spiraled out of his own thoughts more than a few times over the week, would run to Lup without much explanation. But she knew. Barry walked with him along the shore and they kicked shells at each other. Merle made fun of him on the first night, but Lup shot him down. He played nice the rest of the week, offered Taako into his personal room for drinks. Mookie beat the shit out of his knees. Mavis babbled on about druids. It was enough of a distraction for Taako to come visit every night.

When it rained on the last morning of their beach trip, Lup squeezed Taako's shoulder and asked, "Why don't you go take an early train out?"

And, well, that was the only encouragement he needed.

But then he stood at the front door of their Neverwinter house, shaking. _What if Kravitz wasn't ready yet?_ _What if he thought about it, changed his mind, and wants to break up now? Is he still angry? What if things never go back to how they used to be, that this was ruined forever? Is it weird that I'm wearing his shirt right now? Holy shit, what if I fucked up this whole thing before I could tell him that I--_

Taako opened the door, greeted only by soft piano music.

Lup was the one who put the piano in the house; a gift for Barry. The common room was the only place big enough to house a grand piano, even if it was only a parlor grand. Taako left his luggage at the front door and followed the music.

His chest practically collapsed in on itself when he saw Kravitz.

Kravitz was like a dream, sitting there at the keys. He wasn't dressed up, not even a little bit. Not even _his_ version of dressed down, with the business slacks and the button up shirt. He wore the homely plaid pajama pants that Barry gave him once he needed sleep. An uncollared _cotton_ shirt-- _mauve,_ for fuck's sake. Someone call the fucking _police,_ because _Kravitz_ was wearing something that wasn't black with _one_ accent color. Oh, and his hair? Fuuuck, his braids weren't even pinned up. They brushed at his shoulders at the slightest motion. And he was moving a lot, the song he was playing required him to move up and down the entire spectrum of keys. His fingers were teasing, served as a reminder of how much Taako missed any kind of contact with his boyfriend.

Hopefully Kravitz didn't notice the _three minute_ pause Taako took to watch and listen. Too focused in on his music (fuck, he's cute when he's absorbed in work). Taako collected his dignity off the floor and sauntered over to the piano, tracing his finger over the edge of the soundboard and laying out his flirtiest tone. "I didn't know you played."

"The piano isn't my strongest, or my favorite, but I can make do." He didn't turn to look up at Taako--too determined to finish this song up. Hopefully. _Fuck, hopefully--_ either that or he was still angry. But he didn't _sound_ angry. "Welcome back. Are Lup and Barry around?"

"I--left early, because it rained, and, like, that's not good surfin' weather. The nerds wanted to stay and catch up with Merle, so. I went ahead on my own." With lazy eyes, he watched the keys move under Kravitz' fingers. Taako could hardly imagine this _not_ being his strongest instrument--the music came so naturally. "Uh--wait, back up, what _is_ your favorite?"

"Instrument? I'm best at the cello."

"I'd pay to see that." He made a mental note to find a cello the next time he went out. He _needed_ to hear that. "Have you eaten yet?"

"No. I don't think I have any talent in cooking." The song finished, and _finally_ Kravitz' eyes met Taako's. They were soft, tired, but if eyes could smile, his were. He pouted, something cute and playful. "The week's been rough."

Taako stifled a laugh. "Lup said you called and asked for her help."

"And even then, I burned _noodles."_  Kravitz hit a sour chord to punctuate his disappointment.

"Wow, you _are_   hopeless." Taako reached over to hit a few notes himself, although he wasn't able to make them sound as pretty as Kravitz did. Their faces were closer now. Still more space than they were used to, but Taako wasn't sure what boundaries he could cross yet. "Guess I'll have to whip something up. Do you want croissants?"

_"No,"_  Kravitz said, laughter in the word. "In fact, is there a culinary opposite to a croissant? That's what I'd prefer."

This would have been the part where Taako kissed his cheek and walked off teasingly, but he was still unsure. Instead, he hit a few more notes on the piano--the keys were warm--and wandered off towards the kitchen. "I'll see what I can do."

"Should I--"

"No, you can keep playing if you want." He turned to smile at Kravitz. "It's pretty."

Kravitz smiled back and played a short bit of an arpeggio, the motion so practiced that he was able to steal a glance at Taako as he played. "Got any requests?"

"Something original, if you've got it." Taako hung on the door frame, reluctant to leave the room just yet. "Be kind of a shitty conductor if you didn't write anything yourself."

"I have a few." He turned back to the keys, about to lay his hands back on them. He stopped himself with a sudden jerk of his hands and an apologetic look towards Taako. "I have to warn you, though, most of them are horribly out of style these days."

"Thought we already established I'm _very_ into--" Taako gestured, open palm circling up and down Kravitz' direction in a sweeping motion. "--all of that."

He laughed, a sound that was even more melodic than the piano. "That joke doesn't work if I'm not in the suit, Taako."

"Not a joke." He grinned, enjoying the sharp burst of red that darkened Kravitz' complexion. Before he could sputter out a response, Taako dipped into the kitchen.

There wasn't a great selection of ingredients, and the ones he _did_ have weren't of the best quality. He settled on chili, because it was comfort food, and it seemed like that's exactly what a lonely man playing a piano at eleven in the morning would need. Usually, he'd prefer to let it stew for longer, but an hour would have to do. He figured they could... _talk_ while it simmered. Fuck, he was _not_ looking forward to that, but.

Then he'd see Kravitz at that piano again and think _okay, this is worth it._

The music comforted him. It trickled into the kitchen, but was loud enough for Taako to hear the little intricacies of the music. Taako found himself cutting and stirring to the rhythm Kravitz set. He was right, though, it was _ancient._ Like something out of an old opera, or found on yellowed music scores in the desks of historical figures. It sounded like how intricate Fantasy Renaissance paintings looked--regal, opulent, vaguely haunting. Something people in farthingales and stockings would be listening to. Goth as fuuuuck.

After two or three stuffy chamber songs, Kravitz started on something different. Lighter. Modern. During cycle fourteen, they had run into a planet that rained crystals--that's how this song sounded. Enchanting, beautiful. Vaguely reminded him of the music he'd hear Johann play in his little elevator. But this wasn't enough to make him cry, this was too upbeat and energetic. Absolutely did not fit with the rest of Kravitz' repertoire, but it made Taako feel like Kravitz was right there in the room with him, laughing softly and holding him close. He could feel Kravitz' hands on his waist, his breath on his neck, the undeniable feeling of _safety._ Love songs were never Taako's jam, but. Fuck, he could get into _this._

The music stopped as Taako put the chili on the burner to simmer. Moments later, Kravitz stood in the doorframe, shyly asking if Taako enjoyed the performance.

"You were right, some of those were really _old_ sounding. I mean, listen, I'm _totally into_ that. Fits your whole aesthetic. Buu- _uu-uut..."_    Taako smiled, teeth out and eyes closed. "That last one was my favorite."

"That one was new. I wrote it this week, I--hoped you would like it." He ran a nervous hand through his braids. "I was thinking about you."

"Yeah?" Taako laid his chin on his hand. "I was too."

"Well, you _are_ wearing my shirt." Kravitz pointed to the offending item, grinning through his words. "That's a bit of a giveaway, isn't it?"

"Who said this one was yours?" Taako pulled the shirt on its shoulders, showing just how much the shirt _didn't_ fit him. Even buttoned all the way up, it showed off a lot of neck.

"It's grey and it's collared, there's no conceivable universe in which you would choose to buy that for yourself." He couldn't stop smiling, even through his criticisms he was _smitten_ at the image of Taako wearing it. "It isn't even fitted to you properly."

"Alright, you win, c'mere." Taako held his arms out, and Kravitz gladly took the invitation. Taako buried himself in his arms, face pressed into the crook of Kravitz' neck. The two stood there for a good minute, thankful for the contact. Taako felt fingers run through his hair, and the rest of the doubts he had during the week flew out of his mind. Barely audible, he spoke into Kravitz' neck, "I missed you."

"I missed you too," Kravitz answered immediately. Held on tighter. Kissed Taako's hairline. "Thank you for the time alone, but...I really am happy to have you back."

"Yeah, you--" Taako laid the side of his head against Kravitz' shoulder, peeking up to get a gauge on his expression. "You're feeling better?"

"Much more so, yes."

"Good, 'cause--Taako's--Taako's all on board that _talking_ train now."

Kravitz blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah, gotta wait for this chili to simmer, so...we can start now. If you wanted that."

"Oh, of--yes, let's. Sit?" Kravitz nudged his head towards the kitchen door. Taako nodded and dragged him back into the common room. They sat next to each other on the oversized fluffy sectional that Magnus _swore_ they needed to install. Taako insisted that the corner was the most comfortable, throwing Kravitz down into the crook of the sectional before laying his whole mass overtop him. Kravitz smiled and took one of Taako's hands, running a thumb over the palm without thought. "So chili is the culinary opposite of a croissant?"

"Maybe, maybe not--just thought you'd like it." Taako knocked his shoulder against Kravitz'. "Philosophical chili discussion later. We're _talking_ now."

"I--just want to make sure you're okay with starting now. You just got back, and, I _really_ did miss you, and--"

Taako cut him off with a groan. _"Talking."_

Kravitz chewed at the inside of his cheek. "Only if you're ready."

"Don't you back out on me, I've been--" Taako whined, and then pressed his cheek into Kravitz' shoulder. "I was so worried. About you. I've-- _been_   worried, this whole fucking time."

"You...mentioned that." Kravitz squeezed his hand. "It seemed like a sore subject."

"Yeah, well, you promised it wouldn't happen again and then passed out _two seconds_ later."  Taako grimaced, burying his face into Kravitz' chest. "Ughhh, fuck, that wasn't meant to come out like that. You didn't do it on purpose."

"Do you want to start with that? It seems like it's fresh on your mind."

Without any prodding, Taako talked. It came out choppy and unsure, and his face was still pressed into Kravitz' chest, but it was a hell of a lot better than silence. Must have been--Taako ran through this question and answer at least five times over the past week. "I don't--get worried. I mean, I _do,_ a lot _\--_ but only to, like, Lup and Barold and _maybe sometimes_ the rest of the crew, but only 'cause I spent fuckloads of time with them. And, recently, like--Angus, but he's _eleven_ and works to solve _murders_ , so how could I _not_ be?" Taako pulled his face away from his boyfriend's chest, but didn't look him in the eyes. "I--haven't known you for that long and I'm worried about you _constantly_.  It's not normal for me."

"I'd say I would try not to worry you, but I tried that and it didn't work." Kravitz frowned, moving a section of hair behind Taako's ear. "Is there anything I can do? It seems horrible for you to constantly be worrying."

"No, it's--fine. It's just how Taako does." Taako leaned into the touch, closing his eyes. "It's not all bad all the time, sometimes it's a good kind of worry. But it's always there."

Kravitz spoke in slow sections, choosing his words carefully. "I don't mean to overstep, but...do you think maybe _worry_ isn't the correct word?"

"I know it's not correct." His eyes opened and met Kravitz'. "It's easier to say, that's all."

"Right, this is the in the league of things I wanted to sort out." Kravitz let out a breath. His thumb passed over Taako's cheekbone, soft and reassuring. "The words you use for feelings...confuse me, sometimes. I would never ask that you change your entire vocabulary for me, but...it would help for you to translate what you really mean, in clear terms, at least once. Whenever you're comfortable."

"Yeah, that's--fair." Taako closed his eyes again, deep in some thought. He opened them to watch Kravitz' expression, and then answered quietly, as if he was afraid someone else would hear. "I care about you, a lot. Like, almost as much as I do for my own family, and that's terrifying. It came up so fast."

A sharp sound caught in Kravitz' throat. "Oh, that's...that makes a lot more sense, now." 

"And, I know _why_ it's terrifying, because it took fucking _years_ for me to get to this same point with Barry. I thought I was feeling it too quick when I was with Magnus and Merle, but, guess it was some kind of deep brain trust that Fisher couldn't void out." He took one of Kravitz' braids in his hand and ran his thumb along the grooves, needing _something_ to do with his hands.  "But I never...didn't trust you? Not counting the shit between us when you were on business, I'm talking about when we decided to go all in. It comes _too_ easy with you, if that answers anything."

"It does clear up a lot of confusion." He knocked his forehead against Taako's, arms curling around his waist. "Although, I have to say, it's nice. To hear you say that."

"Just nice?" Taako smiled, placing the braid back in its proper place.

He chuckled. "I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. I have a _lot_ to say on the matter."

"Aaaaaand, you hit one of the things _I_ wanted to bring up." Taako sat up, cracked his knuckles and rested his hands on Kravitz' shoulders. "I've been _preparing_ for this."

"I'm happy you did," is what Kravitz said, but he didn't look very happy.

Taako ran a hand through his own hair, cursing under his breath before addressing Kravitz. "I didn't know you were holding back on me. Do you--do that a lot? Not tell me shit?"

"O-only when it's a big deal." Kravitz leaned back into the sectional, as if it could swallow him up to let him hide. "I don't want to scare you off."

"Okay, so, _excuse me?_ Taako's a grown elf, he can handle a little honesty." Taako still kept Kravitz at arm's length. "What haven't you told me?"

"It's not that I don't tell you things, it's more along the lines of...I don't say details." He stopped there, hoping the conversation would come to an end, but Taako nudged him to keep going. "Such as, I thought it would upset you if I told you why I passed out."

"Which, I'll need answers on soon."

"Of course." His eyes flicked to the kitchen. "At lunch."

"Mhmm." Taako leaned back in, lips ghosting over Kravitz' jawline, moving up towards his ear. "So you're afraid you'll say something to scare me away?"

"Yes." He turned his face away. "I know it's bad."

With a sigh, Taako took his hand and turned Kravitz back to look at him. "Well--I can't really fault you for that, 'cause I do the same thing."

"Alright. Alright, that's--an easy fix." Hope in his eyes, he laid his hand on top of Taako's. "We can--we can work through that, can't we?"

"How do you figure?"

"We could set a time every week to air things out."

Taako snorted. "What, like fucking--honesty hour, or something?"

"That's not a bad idea," Kravitz said, thinking it over and nodding through his speech. "I assume once we're practiced enough at it we won't have to schedule it out."

"Mm, I dunno, that would take me years." Taako, lost in thought, looked into Kravitz' eyes. They weren't red like he was used to--now, they were a deep brown. Must have been the color he had in life. Taako watched his pupils dilate. Watched his lashes flutter closed to blink. He kissed the swath of cheek right under Kravitz' eye. "I'm willing to try it. For you. But if I cry and my mascara runs you can't tell anybody."

"I wouldn't dream of it." He touched the spot where Taako kissed and smiled. "Do we still have time before the chili is done?"

"Mhmm, a lot." 

"Good, um." Kravitz looked at the floor, chewing on his lip with knit brows. "I'd like to put a couple boundaries down?"

"Oh. Yeah, 'course, shoot."

"When I told you not to follow me, that was...um. Next time I say that, would you...listen? Leave me be for a while. Like--like you saw, I can get..." Kravitz took in three steady breaths. "Heated. I'd rather avoid blowing up at you. I know when I'm about to pop off, and--later I can tell you the signs, but. For now, if I ask you to leave, will you?"

"Sure." Taako rested his head on Kravitz' shoulder. "But, for the record, _I_ don't like being alone when I'm upset."

Kravitz nodded. "So if we're both upset at the same time, I should...call Lup?"

"Lup, Barry, Magnus--I can write you a list, if that'd help."

"It would." Kravitz kissed a patch of skin right in front of Taako's ear, humming lightly. "So...if you're upset over something that _isn't_ me, you would want me to stay close?"

"Preferably. I--don't like being alone." Without a thought, he held on tighter. "What about you? You...want me to leave?"

"If I'm angry, yes. If I am crying, though, I would prefer if you would stay close."

"Can do." Taako shot his head back upright, as if waking up from a bad dream. "Oh--fuck, I thought of something. Don't kiss me if I'm crying."

"Consider it never done. May I ask why?"

"Nothing tragic. Bad feeling, that's all." Taako tried to wave away the rest of the explanation, but Kravitz looked so _concerned._ "Like, it feels unfair. Does that make sense?"

"I think so." One of his hands traveled to the back of Taako's head, the other tracing down his spine.

Taako sunk into Kravitz' touch, head laying under his chin. He missed this. He really missed this--the way contact with Kravitz had become so casual, to the point where a week without it felt...off. But the last time they did this, there was a nagging feeling at the back of Taako's mind, afraid of how easy it was to stay in intimate contact with Kravitz. He still felt it now, but. It was weaker now. Even if this conversation churned his stomach and worried him to death, it wasn't so bad because Kravitz was here, real and physical. And--the least Taako could do was be honest during this whole thing. "So...you're kind of terrifying when you're angry."

"Yes. I'm--aware." Thankfully, the sudden comment didn't stop Kravitz from touching Taako--if anything, he pressed up closer. "I'll try to...avoid that, with you. But that's the reason why I need to be left alone when I'm angry." Taako hummed in approval. He could fall asleep, right here. Right in this safe place. Kravitz' voice snapped him out of it. "Do you always joke during fights?"

Taako tensed up. "That's part of the brand, Krav."

"Could I--have a translation on that?"

_No,_ is what Taako thought. Because the rest of what they had talked about-- _ohh, I'm trusting you too quick! We should talk more!_ That sort of shit was cute, maybe. At least he could pretend it was. Sure, it was easy to talk this out when he expected the questions. Had all week to think of his answers. But this one came out of nowhere and threw a wrench into Taako's ability to speak honestly. Should he lie? 

"Taako?" And fuck, _fuck,_ he sounded _concerned,_ afraid he had _hurt_ him, and--Taako owed it to him to be honest. That's what got him in trouble in the first place, right? It wouldn't be as bad if he just--said it.

"Fine--fuck, it's _easier._   I think it's obvious by now that I'm--I'm not good with words, or apologies." It didn't come out as easy and calm as the rest of his answers, causing Kravitz to jolt in his seat. "It's easier to bake a croissant than it is to say what I mean and that's--I know it's bad. But, like, _fuck,_ that's--it's--" Taako realized he had raised his voice somewhere in the middle. He looked to Kravitz and felt tears pricking at the edges of his eyes. _"Fuck."_

"A-are you alright?" And, goddamn, he sounded so  _genuine,_ he didn't deserve to have Taako lose his shit while sitting in his lap.

"There's--so many fucking problems here."  _Great,_ now he was crying all over Kravitz. Super fucking smooth. "Like, I'm thinking over it in my head and--how is this going to work? Why do you--" He stopped himself.

"Why do I what?" He didn't bring his face any closer.  _What a gentleman, already taking the shit about the crying to heart._ Taako knew he didn't deserve this. "Taako, please."

Taako whined, and then choked out, "Why do you put up with me?" 

Kravitz' breath stopped. "That--came out of nowhere."

"I've been thinking about it all week," he said, and then winced, and then cried into Kravitz' shoulder again.  _Selfish._

"Taako, I could ask the same thing of you." Kravitz held Taako softly, voice calm and concerned. "I've--not been in the best shape, these past few months. This is strange, and I don't feel right most of the time, but. It's been a long time since I've had something like  _this,_ like what we have, and. I think it's been a long time for you, too. This doesn't end because we hit  _one_ rough patch."

"Are you sure?"

"We both have a few things to work on. Don't beat yourself up before you've even had a chance to adjust--we have time, Taako."

Taako's thoughts almost got away from him again. Almost told him he didn't deserve this, or that Kravitz was too good, or--whatever dumb shit his brain could come up with. But he pushed that aside. Obviously, Kravitz was right here. Real. Solid. Comforting him. If he didn't want to be here, he would have left by now. He would have said something. Taako--for the first time in a long time--forced himself to believe what Kravitz was saying. He was right, this was--a  two way street. They talked. They still had to talk--later--but even if he cried his eyes out on Kravitz' shoulder, this felt like a good start. He ignored the nagging thoughts at the back of his head, for once.

"You'd tell me if it was too much?" Taako dug his face out of his shoulder, grimacing at the mascara stain he left in Kravitz' shirt.

"I would."

The thought wormed its way into Taako's skull. For once, it stayed. He could believe Kravitz when he said sweet shit like that. "And we're still...good? You're staying?"

"I still want to stay with you, yes. I want you to know that--that's never on my mind. Unless I explicitly start the conversation with the phrase _I'm thinking it's time we break up,_ know that...well. It's not on my radar." He smiled, and suddenly Taako was smiling too. Funny how that worked. "Even when we're fighting, I still love you. You understand that?"

Eighty-six.

"I understand it _now."  Because I love you too._

But his dumbass brain didn't let him say the second half.

Taako rubbed his eyes with his palms, as if he could rub out the emotions as well as the tears. "Is...that it? I have to say, cha'boy's--cha'boy's fucking _spent."_

"We still have some things to go over. But they aren't as urgent, and I would _very much_ rather kiss you until the chili is ready." His eyes widened after the words left his mouth, and immediately backtracked. "Unless, if you're still crying--"

"No, shit, shit,  _I want to--_ "  Taako muttered a spell into Kravitz' shirt, lifting the tears and stain out. He hoisted himself off the sectional and ran towards the restroom. "Let me go wash off my face. Stay  _right there."_

Kravitz stayed in the same position as if his life depended on it.

* * *

And now _Kravitz_ was crying.

At least they were even now.

Or maybe not, because Kravitz was at it for at least ten minutes. Came out continuously through his whole death speech. Taako was told to expect this, because one doesn't just _casually_ talk about their own death over lunch, but still jumped at the first sniffle. He scooted his chair up next to Kravitz and held his hand as he recounted the rest of the story. Moved the bowl out of the way so he wouldn't cry in his chili. Taako didn't say much as Kravitz recounted the experience. Too worried that any consolation he could offer would fall flat. And, from experience, Taako knew that it was best to have someone to vaguely talk _at_ while discussing death.

When the bulk of the tears were gone, Taako mumbled out a quick, "lemme grab somethin'," before ducking into the restroom to wet a washcloth. He came back and laid it in Kravitz' hands. It wasn't until he saw Kravitz' dumbfounded expression before Taako thought _oh, shit, is it bad that I just handed him something dripping with **water?**_

"Thank you," he said, and pressed the warm cloth to his face.

Taako laughed away his nerves. "Thought I fucked up for a second there."

"There's a big difference between getting hit with water at the beach and enjoying a nice warm towel." Kravitz chuckled, which put Taako at ease. "It's not as if I'm afraid of _bathing_ now."

"Hey, uh--"  Taako sat back down. "Sorry about that. Again. The water thing."

"It was an honest mistake," Kravitz said, wiping off the snot from around his nose. "But thank you."

As Kravitz cleaned himself up, Taako put a reassuring hand on his shoulder. But something felt off. He touched his own shoulder, and--no, damn, there was  _definitely_ something off about Kravitz. Taako moved his hand down to feel Kravitz' back; Kravitz knew Taako well enough to be resigned to the fact that sometimes his boyfriend would get wild curious impulses. If it was an elf thing or a Taako thing, he wasn't sure--it was cute at the best of times and inconvenient at the worst, so no harm done. Taako applied a little pressure to his back as he felt around, and Kravitz leapt in surprise--until Taako kept going, and he leaned into the touch, eyes closed. 

After a couple minutes, Taako breathed out, "Fuck, you're--tense."

"What?" Kravitz asked, dazed.

"It's like Fantasy Cub Scouts used your back for knot practice."

"Um."

"You were stressing this whole week, weren't you?" Taako asked, in a tone not unlike scolding. He sighed, grabbed Kravitz by the wrist, and pulled him up. "I'm fixing this. Follow me."

Taako led Kravitz to their room, closing the door behind the two. Kravitz stood there, two feet away from Taako, trying to gauge the situation. Was this some kind of sex thing? Was there a new craze of  _watch your loved one cry and then lock them in a room with you for boning?_ Was that what the kids were doing these days? But Taako wasn't kissing him, and wasn't removing his clothes. Kravitz waited for some kind of indication of  _what_ this was. 

"Take off your shirt," was the only explanation Taako offered.

"Taako, I just cried my eyes out, I'm not in the mood for--"

"No, that's not what we're--you're _\--_ I've never _seen_   you this stressed." Taako frowned, crossed his arms. "I want to do something about it."

Kravitz couldn't think of a situation where lugging your boyfriend to your room and demanding he remove his shirt _wasn't_   sexual. "I think I need some clarification."

"I'm just gonna rub the knots out of your back." Taako roped his arms around Kravitz' neck, all casual-like. Smooth. "Purely for relaxation purposes. I won't even _touch_ your dick. Not until later. Wink."

"Oh." He let out a huff of breath and tilted his head. "You know how to?"

Taako wheezed. "Of course I know how to touch your dick, I'm an _expert."_

Kravitz laughed, soft and familiar, as he pulled the shirt over his head. "You know that's not what I was referring to." He folded the shirt and laid it on the end of the bed.

"There was one cycle that had this spa--fucking heavenly--but the thing was, I was using the wrong currency to pay." He wavered on his feet as he recalled the cycle. "I ended up having to work off a debt there. The entire year. I'm a licensed masseuse."

"You're--" Kravitz couldn't stop himself from grinning through the entire story. "Gods, Taako, you're _wonderful."_

"I haven't even done anything yet, slow your roll." Despite his chiding, Taako was grinning too. He pressed a pillow into Kravitz' hands. "Anyway, here, lay your head on this and get on your stomach."

"Wait--" Kravitz reached for the second pillow that was on the bed, the one that was farther away. "I want to use this one."

"That's _my_ pillow." Taako kissed him, short and sweet. "You sap."

"I _really_ missed you."

"Funny how that is, I did too." He stole one more kiss before lightly pushing him towards the bed. "Go on, lay down."

He stumbled, thrown off balance by the push, but caught himself. He laughed again, climbing onto the bed and laying just as Taako told him to. After he was settled, Taako climbed over top of him. Not the professional position for this sort of thing, but it wasn't like it would affect Kravitz' enjoyment of this if Taako was standing. In fact, Taako got the impression that he was enjoying the extra point of contact. He rolled up his sleeves. "Taako's lacking in that good upper body strength, so, sorry if this doesn't go as deep as you want."

"I thought you said this wasn't going to be explicit," Kravitz said, words muffled through the pillow.

"You ass." Taako grinned. He ran his hands along Kravitz' back, featherlight, not pressing down yet. Always had time to do a little admiring. "Damn, you're gorgeous," slipped quietly out of Taako's mouth before he could catch it.

Kravitz squirmed a bit, gripped the pillow tight. A bit of red showed through the thin skin of his ears. Which, weird--Taako wasn't shy giving out compliments, especially since there were thousands of things he could compliment Kravitz on without repeating any. And he's  _definitely_ called Kravitz gorgeous before, so what gives? 

Whatever the reason, it gave Taako an idea.

First, he'd pretend like it didn't happen. An act of mercy. He pressed down on Kravitz' back, grinding his palm into tense expanse of muscle. Just like kneading cold dough--couldn't do much when it was like this, first he'd have to work out the kinks in the surface. And there were a lot. Was Kravitz hunched over that piano all week? He'd have to lecture this man on proper back support later. For now, he pressed down as hard as he could, enjoying the pleased breaths and groans from Kravitz. He rolled his palm in circles over his shoulder blades.

"You know, I've been thinking..." Taako said, teasing. Kravitz hummed questioningly, which Taako took as a cue to go on. "You've gone on and on about how your body is a construct, but--this is what you really looked like when living, huh?"

"Well, I--"  Kravitz rolled his shoulders, and a loud crack escaped him. "I could change it if I wanted to. When I die again."

"There's really no need." Taako leaned down, briefly kissing the exposed side of Kravitz' face. "You're perfect."

And it wasn't a great compliment, pretty general, but Kravitz reacted in the same way as the  _gorgeous_ line. Taako grinned.

"Don't get me wrong, if you wanted to change something for your own benefit, that'd be cool--you're talkin' to the guy that uses arcane cosmetics." He dug his thumbs into the base of his neck. "But this is very  _you._ I'm into that."

He could have sworn he heard a whine from underneath him.

Taako sat up. He changed the subject, but not his intentions. "I didn't get to say it earlier, but you were so  _beautiful_ at that piano. Did you notice me staring?" He ground his palm down into Kravitz' lower back. 

"I--didn't notice that."

"Because you were so focused?" He leaned down to whisper into his ear, fingers pressing up in a crawl up his back. "You're  _so_ passionate, have I told you how hot that is?"

Kravitz took in a sharp breath. "You--haven't."

"Did you know you bite at your thumb when you think too hard? It's cute." His fingers pressed deep into his neck. "And I like it when your eyes get so  _intense."_

Another one of those whines as Kravitz' fingers grasped the pillow.

Taako kissed his ear and sat back up, getting back to work for real. With each compliment, Kravitz got a little more flustered. He punctuated all of his rubbing with compliments-- _You've got the softest skin, you're so considerate, has anyone ever told you how fucking charming you are?_ Taako took a moment to watch him, palms pressed lightly on his back. He tried to think of another compliment to wring out a little more red in his complexion, but. One thought overpowered all the others.

_I love him._

He couldn't stop his heart from beating. He heard it in his ears, it was so powerful. But he smiled, because he  _knew_ that would get a good reaction out of him. And for once,  _for once,_ he was confident about this. This felt stable. He felt like he could say it. 

"You know, Krav," he said, smiling. His fingers weaved over and between the bumps of Kravitz' vertebrae, a firm touch with delicate precision. As he moved down the spine, farther away from the neck, he applied more pressure. He readied himself for the confused bliss about to pour out of Kravitz. "I can't get enough of your voice."

_What the fuck._

Taako didn't care about the way Kravitz squirmed. That wasn't what he wanted to say. He was going to say the big three. That was--weird. Fuck it, he'd try again.

"Also, your braids are beautiful when you let them down like this."

_Excuse me?_

"So  _cute_ when you're flustered."

_No, what??? Why?_

Every time he tried to say it out loud, it didn't come out. It refused to. His brain changed it for him without permission, like shitty autocorrect. No matter how he tried to say it, he couldn't squeeze it out. Taako tried a few more times, and nothing. Not even a little bit. Thankfully, he was a pretty good actor--Kravitz didn't notice his frustration. 

Fine, he'd worry about this later.

At some point, he worked all the knots out, but had a couple reasons to keep going. For one, this compliment game was  _so cute--_ flustered Kravitz in all the right ways. And second, Taako really did enjoy the way Kravitz melted at his touch. Even with the embarrassment, he was completely relaxed here. But it had to come to an end at some point. Kravitz sat up. His back popped more than a box of firecrackers given to kids on New Year's. He stretched his arms, rolled his back, and breathed. 

"That was good?" Taako asked.

_"Wonderful."_ He held Taako's chin and kissed him, soft and slow. He pulled back, running his thumbs over Taako's cheeks. "Taako, thank you. Not only for the massage, but also for the chili, and the talk, and--every moment I get to spend with you."

"Well. I could say the same to you." Taako kissed his nose. "But I'm not going to, because you were the one in worse shape and I figured you needed a little pampering. Just did it 'cause I was worried about you."

"Worried, or?"

"I already offered you a translation," Taako said, but then added, "I did it because I care about you."

Kravitz smiled, leaned his forehead against Taako's. "What can I do in exchange?"

"I'm not making a deal with you, Krav, I did it on my own terms." Kravitz frowned at that, lips drawn in a pout. "But if you're really horny for reciprocation, I'd _kill_ to hear that song you wrote for me again."

"Maybe I'll start writing more." Kravitz pressed light kisses all over Taako's cheek, and then down his neck. "Especially since I have inspiration now."

He held Kravitz at the waist. "You have _no right_ being this sappy." 

"Neither do you, Mister _let me massage you and whisper compliments into your ear while I do so."_ He looked up at Taako, head in his neck, and smirked.

"You got riled up after _one_ compliment, how was I not supposed to keep doing it?" Taako kissed the top of his head. "And, I _know_ I've said all that shit to you before, so what was _up_ with that reaction?"

"I'm not entirely sure," he said, voice wavering and fluttery. "It sounded different that time. Maybe I missed your voice."

"Different?" Taako looked at the ceiling, thinking.

"It sounded, maybe, softer? I'm not sure how to describe it."

"Not sure what you're getting at." Taako winked. "But hey, I meant all of them."

"I would never think otherwise." He dug his face into Taako's chest, smiling and whispering like a prayer, "I love you."

Eighty-seven.

_Say it, say it, **say it.**_

"Y-yeah."

**_Fuck._ **

Hopefully Kravitz didn't notice Taako with bedsheets balled up in his hands.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so, again.....THIS was supposed to be the Valentine's update. that's why this thing is at 6.5k words.  
> and there may or may not be an update next week, I have most of it written but I will be traveling!! it really depends on how much internet/free time I can get.  
> next chapter is lovingly titled in my drafts as "dicks out for the goddess" so make of that what you will


	15. Invasive Thoughts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako has a meeting and works through a few things.

Taako woke up four hours into sleep. He didn't know why the dead version of his body couldn't get through a full eight hours, but this was starting to get annoying. At least it gave him extended amounts of time to do...nothing. Catch up on reading, maybe, but Taako wasn't a fucking _nerd_ and, honestly, he'd read all his wizard tomes and cookbooks a thousand times over. Couldn't talk to anyone on his stone, because then Kravitz would wake up--and, _no,_ Taako was _not_ going to leave the bed, thank you very much. It was kind of creepy to sit and admire his boyfriend's face for hours at a time--not that he _didn't_ do it, but it's only possible to watch for _so long._ It got weird after five or ten minutes. So, yeah, he had a lot of time to do nothing.

Except, tonight he was thinking so hard about what he _couldn't_ say that his head almost folded in on itself. Taako, with his recently-acquired memories, had a lot of people that loved him. Lup, Barry, Magnus, Merle, Davenport, Lucretia (ugh--hadn't sifted through those feelings yet), and even people who weren't on the ship, like Angus and Ren and the millions of people who heard his story. His fans? _Fuck, he had fans again._ But they weren't that important, other than for brand purposes. He was focused more on the people he loved back--on sliding scales, of course, with Lup being right at the top--but he didn't have a habit of saying it out loud. Didn't really have to, it was implied.

But, y'know, something about Kravitz made Taako _want_ to say it out loud.

Or maybe Taako was opening up after a hundred years of walking through dust? Maybe this was the start of a habit, maybe he _would_ start reminding Lup how much she meant to him, now that she was back. Maybe things would change now that he wasn't starving, running, or fighting. Shit, maybe he'd start designating _family_   past him and Lup and Barry--Magnus was practically his brother, too, and Davenport and Merle were the closest things to parental figures Taako had since his aunt. And, alright, alright, _okay,_ Angus was a cute kid. Kind of like a nephew? Taako could be a weird uncle, right? And-- _fuck--_ something in his heart said that he should forgive Lucretia. At some point. Maybe put a pin in that and revisit it in a few years, that wound was _too fresh._ But, maybe not? And, speaking of family, was that...something Taako wanted? Something stable and domestic? He'd always been too embarrassed to admit the little soft spot he had towards kids, but.

Was that something he wanted with _Kravitz?_

Bad thought, _bad thought--_ too quick--he wasn't there _yet._

Though, he was hurtling fast towards that point. Kravitz made him feel safe, loved, and everything that Lup used to describe about how she felt with Barry. Both of them had their share of bad relationships before, so it was a _mess_ trying to figure out if Barry was good for his sister. Lup and Taako spent far too many nights gossiping and debating. Was it okay to date someone on the ship? Was Lup mentally ready to trust somebody other than Taako? Was _any_ of this worth if Lup was going to have to call herself Lup _Bluejeans_ one day??? But, of course, it was worth it. Lup and Barry were so vibrant together. Lup had always been a nerd, as much as she liked to make fun of other nerds, and it was nice for her to have someone to do that with. Barry was always quiet and nervous, but felt comfortable enough in Lup's presence to be bolder. He didn't say it a lot, but Taako adored Barry, knew he was good to his sister. Taako loved his sister for decades, more than a century, but he watched her go through a different kind of love, genuinely happy for her every step of the way. Sure, Taako held the thought in the back of his mind that he wanted something similar. He never thought he'd _get_ it, but.

Well, here's Kravitz.

Here's Kravitz, sleeping under Taako's arm with his face buried into his chest. Here's Kravitz, braids falling over his face like a bead curtain. Here's Kravitz, who waited a week to talk about their problems, squirmed over compliments, played music for him until the sun went down, and blew Taako's mind (among other things) with the best make-up sex of his fucking _life._

And Taako's been thinking about him--about what he _couldn't_ say--for _hours._

Phonetically, the words  _I love you_ aren't difficult to form. It's a simple phrase in most languages, never more than three or four syllables. And--goddamn, Taako was  _good_ at languages. If his brain wasn't tripping over the words, he could say it in Common, Elvish, Dwarven, Gerblin, and even  _animal--_ or, at least, the animals from Cycle one. As soon as Taako was able to grasp at the words, Kravitz would hear it in every tongue at Taako's disposal. 

Would Taako get called a sap? Absolutely.

Did he care?  _Ehhhhhh,_ he'd have to wait and see.

A tugging sensation took Taako out of his vortex of thoughts. It was firm and insistent, not just a product of his frightening train of thought. Reeked of magic. Moments later, a rift appeared in the room, just a few feet from the bed. Oh, right. Goddess call. Taako lifted Kravitz' head off of his chest and shuffled out of bed.

Kravitz, half asleep, grabbed Taako's arm on the way out. "Mmmgh, _Taako--"_

Taako grit his teeth, worried--last time he went to go talk to the Big Bad Bird Goddess, he had to fight Kravitz to stay. "I'm gettin' a call from your goddess. Really gotta go." He leaned over to kiss Kravitz' forehead. "Don't wait up."

For a second, he laid there, squinting at Taako in a half-asleep daze. He blinked, and then groaned, and then rolled over to shove his face in Taako's pillow. "Tell her I miss her."

"Will do." Taako smiled. This wasn't the same high-strung, overworked man that he had to fight into bed three months ago. Hopefully this meant Kravitz would be able to fucking _relax_ when he went back to work. But Taako still had him for three months. He could say everything he wanted to before three months were up, right? "Goodnight."

Kravitz let out a sleepy grunt in response. Cute.

The rift stood in their room, insistent. For a minute, he sat on the edge of the bed watching it. Beautiful, really. He'd have to ask about the magic behind it. The longer he sat watching, though, the firmer the pulls in his head became. Fine, fine, she _really_ wanted to talk. Taako figured he should put on some pants, at the very least. But when he reached down to grab his underwear, he felt an impatient tug.

"Really? I'm fucking _naked,_ you sure you want to see that?" Taako asked, speaking to the air.

The next tug was so forceful it jerked Taako's head forward and pulled him off the bed.

He shrugged. Dicks out for the Goddess, apparently.

At least he was more graceful going through this rift than the last one. When he crossed his foot over the threshold, black smoke and feathers circled around it. _Cool, cool, that's new._ He considered waiting to see what happened when the smoke dissipated, but another tug hit him in the back of the head. _Fuck it,_ he thought as he shifted the whole rest of his weight through the rift.

After he was all the way in, the rift closed behind him. He was standing in another opulent room. It had some of the same elements as the one he fell into before. The furniture made out of bones. The dark mahogany floor. The black velvet wallpaper (although, this new pattern was adorned with deep purple floral designs). The raven feathers that floated around the room in a gentle breeze, falling continuously and thick in the air. But there were also some new elements. The black crystal chandelier replaced with a nearly identical one, but bright and silver. The rugs on the floor were now woven and colorful, depicting scenes from the future and past. Between all the floating feathers were soft, silver twinkling lights, and silver strings hung off the ceiling and draped around the room. And, now, the room was furnished like a homely living room (for goths).

Instead of a throne, the Raven Queen sat on a loveseat next to Istus--that explained the change in decor. The last time he had seen Istus, her age was constantly fluctuating, but it looked like she was locked as a woman in her mid-40s for now. The Raven Queen was still a half-bird half- _something_ hybrid, but more of her features were human- _ish._ The two were also smaller, about seven feet tall instead of fifteen. Still intimidating, though--like, shit, that's _two_ goddesses.

Oh, _shit,_ two goddesses--and Taako still had his dick out.

Or, wait, maybe he didn't?

The black smoke and feathers fell off him, and instead of his disheveled sleep-nudity, Taako stood there in the same black-on-black-on-black ensemble that Kravitz wore to work. Sweet-ass feathered cape with a silver chain. Nice silk-lined suit. Fancy everything--honestly, without the cape he could have been mistaken for a businessman. His hair was all done up nice, too, with little feathers hanging down at the ends. All dressed up for a job that wasn't his.

"Welcome back," said the Raven Queen, in a voice that didn't shake the whole room. _Alright, cool, casual goddess sesh._ She waved her hand and another plush loveseat appeared opposite theirs, as well as a low table stocked with sweets and teas.

Taako scanned the room, picking at his suit sleeves. "Oh, _this_ is new. Gotta say, not my style, but this is sharp as fuck." He dropped himself onto the loveseat, grinning at the way the goddesses laughed when he kicked his feet onto the table. _Krav would kill me for real if he knew I was kicking it causal-style with his boss._   "Is this for business, or...?"

"For pleasure, there isn't any need for worry," she said, laughing. She poured out some iridescent silver tea and handed it over to Istus. "I had some free time and wanted a chat." 

Istus took the cup and waved politely. "Hello, Taako."

"Great to see 'ya when I'm not in the middle of dying over and over again." Taako eyed the table of sweets and teas, but didn't reach for anything. "I'm not crashing your meeting?"

"No, she was asking about you specifically. I took you away from Istus' domain, so I have been taking the time to catch her up." She poured out another tea for herself and laid back. Her free hand laid on the back of the loveseat, her hand hovering near Istus' shoulder. "And, Taako, feel free to help yourself."

Taako grinned and took a beignet--the powdered sugar disappeared in a puff when it touched his conjured clothes-- _sweet._ "So, what, this is goddess gossip corner?" _Or goddess fucking corner, wow, Queen's not even being subtle._

As if Taako's own thoughts embarrassed her, the Raven Queen turned her head away and cursed. Istus muffled a laugh with her hand. "I suppose you could call it that."

The Raven Queen raised a brow at Istus, staring her down seriously as she spoke. "It's difficult to get our schedules to align properly, but Istus is one of my closest _friends."_

_"Friends,"_   Istus said, having an even harder time holding back laughter, "Real _gal pals."_

The goddess threw her hands in the air and huffed. "I'm trying to be _professional."_

"Professionalism left the door the _second_ your emissary started dating mine." Istus kissed her cheek, running her thumb along the other goddess' cheekbone. "I'm sure Taako doesn't mind."

"Taako _certainly_ doesn't mind," he said, shoving two scones in his hands like popcorn. _Kravitz definitely takes after his goddess, holy shit._

The Raven Queen snorted, and seemed to loosen up after Taako finished his thought. _Weird._  "How has my little bounty hunter been? Is he adjusting properly?"

"He's been, y'know. Good. We--just got back from a trip at the beach?" Taako tripped over himself as he tried to omit the fight. He started at least five or six sentences, but couldn't form anything halfway coherent. _Shit, **is** he okay? He seemed better, but-- _ "He sort of, remembered how he died, so, maybe not _great,_ but, uh..."

"Oh." The goddess deflated a bit. "Normally, when one of my servants dies in such a horrible fashion, I allow them some time before handing the memory back over, but..." She held her chin in her hands, eyes flicking around the room like a bird looking out for predators. "Goodness, maybe it was too soon."

Istus clasped a hand on her shoulder for comfort. "I am _sure_ he didn't deal with it alone." She flicked her eyes between Taako and the grieving goddess, and Taako took the hint.

"Yeah, uh, Barry talked him through it first, and I--" _Accidentally drowned him? Almost?_ No, he couldn't say that. He'd probably get smited. Smote? Smitten? Whatever the verb was, he would definitely get murdered by this goddess if she knew he almost drowned one of her bounty hunters. "Uh, he seemed fine once he got to talk about it. He's doing better."

She watched his face carefully, studying it like a textbook. Her face was scrunched up tight, not at all graceful goddess behavior. _Uhhh--uh--she's either really worried or **really** ready to throw my soul into her soup lake.  _ After a moment, she sighed and said, "Istus, would you tell me if there was something wrong with him?"

"Of course," Istus said, running a comforting hand down the Raven Queen's back. She noticed the confusion on Taako's face, and added, "Because you aren't in my domain at the moment, I decided to put the extra energy to watching Kravitz."

Taako smiled. "Putting her at ease?"

"Precisely."

"Well, wait a second," he said, brows knit together as he thought through the situation. "If you can watch Kravitz yourself, why'd you call me here?"

"Istus and I have a bet going." The Raven Queen adjusted her position, smoothing out her dress and cape like a bird that preens when they're nervous. "I would like to confirm...a few things."

"Well, Lady Lady, don't keep me waiting!" Taako jumped and positioned himself to lay on the loveseat, casual and lazy. He grabbed a bag of cheap tea cookies between his toes and dropped them into his hands. Had to use that weird elf flexibility to show off at all times. "I'm _so_ into this."

She paused for a beat, working through the best way to phrase her question. Eventually, she settled on something simple. "Were you and Kravitz in a fight?"

Taako froze.

"U--uh--" _Is she gonna kill me for real if she found out about the week off?_   "No, we're--good, we're _real_ good."

She turned her head, curious. "So you had a week away from him."

He sat straight up, holding his head and dropping the bag of cookies. "How--did you know that?"

The Raven Queen tilted her head to the side, voice even and clear. Rehearsed, almost. "You know I am aware of your thoughts when you inhabit my space, correct?"

"I--" _Shit._ "Didn't know that."

"And when you are out on the Material Plane, I can read the pulses of your soul." She sighed. Was this tiring her? Or was Taako's ignorance of the situation annoying her? "Did you not read the manual at all?"

Taako waved his hand in the air. "I had Barold do that."

"The necromancer?"

"Well, he's _your_ necromancer now," he said with a laugh.

"I suppose he is." The Raven Queen blinked slowly a few times, an unnecessary gesture. "You're deflecting."

"I mean--sure, I guess there was a _little_ fight." Taako sank into the loveseat, desperately trying to hide or run away. "A little bit of yelling, and then Krav thought it would be best to cool off for a while before talking it out. And we did--we talked it out, I mean. We're good now." He braced himself for yelling, but Istus sighed and dropped some form of currency into the Raven Queen's hand.

"I _told_ you," the Raven Queen said, "His soul was wavering the _entire_ week."

Taako wasn't entirely sure how _Istus,_ the goddess of _fate,_ couldn't see something like this coming. Maybe she let the other goddess win? Maybe she wasn't completely omnipotent. Fuck, goddess bullshit didn't make _any sense._ Somewhere in his thoughts, Taako missed a chunk of their conversation--they were whispering, but their voices were loud enough for Taako to pick up the words.

"What is it doing right now?" Istus asked.

"It's been _nervous_ and _flustered_ all afternoon." 

"Hey, hey, my soul's fucking _great,_ no need to worry," he said, cutting in. Taako shook a bit at the thought--she could see everything? Fuck, Taako knew he had problems being vulnerable, but _this_ felt...invasive? Like he was naked all over again. He tried so hard not to think, but his thoughts were going at a mile a minute, regretting everything he's ever thought in his life, even though the Raven Queen had only been listening for a few minutes.

"I would never use your own thoughts to harm you." Her voice cut him out of his stumbling thoughts. "This isn't something to be ashamed of, Taako. It's perfectly healthy, these are normal behaviors."

"Yeah, for normal people." He grit his teeth. _Not too keen on...being comforted by the thoughts you **stole** out of my head._  "Taako's his own thing."

"I apologize. I don't have any control over it. You are in my domain, plain and simple."

_It feels gross._

"I know. I'm sorry."

_I'm not talking anymore._ Taako crossed his arms.

"Istus still needs to hear."

_Hear **what?** I told you what was up with Kravitz, that's what you called me for, right?_

"I called you here to help."

_Help._

"Yes."

_I'm good._

"Taako," she said, in a tone not unlike the one his sister used to pry information out of him.

"You say _help_ like I have a problem." Taako burst out of his silence, voice more nervous than angry. Felt spent after learning about the invasive mind-reading bullshit. "And, fine, whatever, maybe I'm having a little trouble? But I can deal with it myself, it's  _easy."_

"I know we do not know each other too well, Taako, but I can tell when your soul is hurting. And when you are unhappy, Kravitz is unhappy."  She leaned forward, her smile wide and knowing. "If you think _you're_ bad, you should have seen the way Kravitz struggled with the exact same thing. A few hundred years without living company? That isn't any good for a soul trying to open up."

Taako should have been embarrassed, reduced to a stumbling mess over the mere mention of his boyfriend. But for now, all of his thoughts were directed at the idea of Kravitz tripping over the same problem--how long did he _feel_ like he loved Taako before he said it out loud? _Did he have to talk to a goddess, too?_

"Yes, I had an extended chat with Kravitz once he started falling for you." _Right, mind reading._ _Fuck._ He had already forgotten. Too busy thinking about his boyfriend. About the comforting hands that cupped his face when he was upset. The eyes that waited, patient and understanding, as he rolled out his insecurities out on a serving platter. The melodic voice that somehow, _somehow,_ sounded more like music than an entire orchestra. Taako tried to steer his thoughts away from the obvious, causing the Raven Queen to laugh and wave her hand. "Taako, there's no use in denying it."

"I'm not denying shit," he said. No matter how embarrassed he got here, though, his heart wouldn't start beating. Great, because otherwise he'd be redder than a tomato. "I can't fucking _say_ it, out loud, with my mouth."

"And that is the help I am offering you." Her fingers (talons? claws?) came together in a steeple. "It may help to practice saying it around a person that already knows what's on your mind."

Taako shook his head. "I don't like you reading my mind."

"Again, I can't help it." Her talons _(fingers???)_   tapped along her knees, her bangles jingling in a melody as her hands moved. "Much like you can't stop yourself from thinking about how much you care for my reaper."

"I wasn't thinking about it."

"You have been." The Raven Queen and Istus shared a cheerful grin. "This whole time."

"I--" He ran a hand through his hair. _"Fuck."_

"Taako, you should take the help." Istus' voice rang out calm, smoothing over Taako's nerves like a blanket. "I have a feeling it will make you feel better."

He calmed down, all the fight gone out of him now. Still, he shook his head. "I don't know if I can--"

"I promise, it really will help," Istus insisted.

"If I say it to you, how does that help me say it to--" He didn't want to say _Kravitz,_ fearing the smug look on both of the goddess' faces. "More _involved_ parties?"

The look on their faces became even smugger. "I believe it would help if you said it aloud at least once before trying it on Kravitz," the Raven Queen said, an emphasis on the name that Taako avoided. "You may find it easier to practice on someone else."

"Fine." Taako poured himself some tea--hoping something else could calm his goddamn nerves. He watched the two goddesses, all buddy-buddy with each other. Actually, no, _in love_ with each other. And--oh, oh, _oh._ He saw it. The way their hands slot together, and the way they looked at each other--like they were each other's worlds, each other's _homes._ It wasn't high-energy, it wasn't sexy, or even exciting. It was just. There. Comfortable.

They reminded him of Lup and Barry.

Of Carey and Killian.

Of Sloane and Hurley.

Of the way Magnus talked about Julia.

And, worst of all, he was reminded of him and Kravitz.

"I'm in deep," he said, to nobody in particular. He buried his face in one of the throw pillows. The goddesses giggled. Fucking with mortals must have been a pastime for them. "So, what? All I have to do is say it to you two?"

"Out loud, yes." 

"Tall order." Taako laid back down, fearing direct eye contact. 

"You can start by  _thinking_ it to me, if that helps." 

_I don't like you listening,_ he asserted again. 

She frowned. "I cannot stress enough how I  _cannot_ stop doing it." 

"Forced eavesdropping, huh."

"It's hardly eavesdropping if I  _tell_ you I am listening." The Queen's arm twitched. She was getting impatient. "You are  _dodging_ again."

"This shit isn't easy." Taako poked at some of the floating feathers. "A lot of bullshit backstory I have to get through first, y'know?"

"I would rather  _not_ hear all of the intricacies of  _why_ you cannot say this. I am a goddess, not a therapist."  Her leg was bouncing now. Definitely impatient. "This is just a space for you to practice."

Istus laid a calming hand on the Raven Queen. "We don't have very much time, either, so it would be nice if you could get it out soon."

"I can  _try,"_ Taako grumbled, "Didn't think I'd get rushed."

The Raven Queen hissed. "You  _are_ in a meeting with  _two goddesses."_

"Mmm, and you were the ones that offered help." He shrugged. Both goddesses glared at him menacingly, reminding him that they were  _infinitely more powerful_ than he would ever be. "Fine, alright, gimme a  _second."_

"Time's ticking," the Queen said, taking out a pocketwatch.

The timepiece served as an urgent warning. Taako was under pressure now--maybe that was a good thing? Having a deadline? He straightened his back and opened his mouth to speak. It only came out in fragments, the beginnings of the phrase. "I'm--I--I'm, uh, I--" He groaned and cursed. It felt childish, not being able to get it all the way out. He took the advice from earlier, at his own reluctance, and ran the phrase through his head a few times.   _"Fuck,_ I--"   _I love him, come on, come on, fucking **say** it._

"You won't get anywhere by forcing it," the Raven Queen said.

He threw his hands up in the air. "What  _else_ do you expect me to do, after giving me a time limit?"

"We can pick this back up later, if you cannot do it now."

"No, I've  _got_ it, just--" Taako pinched the bridge of his nose, taking in an unnecessary breath. "I've got it."

He stumbled on for a few more minutes. He took breaks of silence, and couldn't get past the first two words of the sentence he  _wanted_ to say. Istus stayed patient, but the Raven Queen was more insistent, checking her pocketwatch and fiddling with her bangles. Not the paragon of patience. 

"Are you alright, Taako?" Istus asked, concerned. 

"Perhaps this wasn't the best idea." The Raven Queen opened a rift behind Taako's loveseat. "I should send you home."

"I-- _fuck,"_  Taako dragged a hand across his face. "It shouldn't be so fucking _difficult_ to say how much I _love him_ out loud!"

The whole room paused. Taako's words hung in the air, echoing through the room. 

"I'm in love with him," he said, again, grin spreading across his face. Whatever block stopped him from saying it before was _gone._ "I'm--in  _love_ with _Kravitz."_

It felt like it was obvious, like it was natural for him to say it. The words felt big in his mouth, still shaky and unpracticed, but not uncomfortable. Not forced. He said them a few more times, just to the air, and each time they felt easier to say. He'd have trouble saying them in front of Kravitz, but. This did help. Baby steps, right? Istus congratulated him, but the Raven Queen had already opened that rift and was practically pushing him towards it.

"Anything else before you leave?" she asked, cutting through some of the chatter between Istus and Taako. "The two of us  _desperately_ have to get going. You took up a lot of time."

"Again, _you_ were the one that called  _me."_ His ears went down directly after he sassed her, her eyes fixed threateningly on him. "Right, um. Kravitz said he missed you."

"Take a feather with you," said the Raven Queen, exasperated by Taako's shenanigans but softened from the mention of her reaper, "Kravitz has always loved trinkets, most of all sentimental ones."

"Oh, sweet." He plucked one out of the air and smoothed it out. "Thanks!"

"And, Taako? Don't make me intervene again." She smiled, and disappeared into smoke. Her voice reverberated through the room, shaking it. "I wish you luck."

Istus stood. "And I look forward to having you back. Three months left, you said?" A blinding light captured the room, and when it dimmed, Istus was gone. "Give my well wishes to Merle and Magnus as well."

"Got it." Taako didn't want to stay alone in a goddess' space for too long. No matter how casual he just was with these two, he wasn't _stupid._ The rift stood there, his room on the other end. Taako watched it, still infatuated with the magic that powered it. He plucked five or six more feathers out of the air before stepping through. 

Kravitz didn't wake when Taako stepped back into their room. He must have been exhausted. Taako couldn't find a good way to situate Kravitz back into his arms without waking him. He set the feathers around his sleeping boyfriend--a little surprise for when he woke up. And, since he was so deep in sleep, maybe Taako could just--

"I lo--I--'m in _lov--_ damn it,"  _Ugh, fuck._ "I--I'm in--I lo-- _fuck,"_ he stumbled, quietly, never loud enough to wake Kravitz. Fine, it was fine. This was still  _new._ He'd get it eventually. No need to rush. For now, he kissed Kravitz' temple and let him sleep. Maybe it was time to let in reinforcements. Lup must have gone through this too, right? He'd ask her. Hopefully she wouldn't make fun of him too much. 

Scratch that, she'd never let him hear the end of it.

Maybe he'd ask Barry instead. 

He headed to the kitchen. The whole room was still a chaotic mess from Kravitz' misuse of it.  _Time to put this all back into place,_ Taako thought. Maybe he'd do a little midnight baking before Lup and Barry got back. He felt like doing something complicated--maybe macaroons? Something textured, at least. What hadn't he made Kravitz before? He thought he should make something a little more special tonight. 

But first, he'd have to scrub the burnt noodles out of bottom of his best saucepan. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm going to start posting these in the morning, because ALL OF YOU messed up and READ THE LAST CHAPTER AT MIDNIGHT and FUCKED UP YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULES!!!!! even if i finish a chapter late at night, i'm holding off at posting until morning and you all BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELVES!!!!!!  
> i'm not mad. just disappointed :)  
> also, this was another chapter that I had to cut in half? next half should come sooner than usual?? it's............a lup chapter....... :3c (again, i have most of it written, but there's a block of dialogue that is difficult to write and my brain wants to write the chapter AFTER it instead. my brain likes writing fluff more than anything else so there's like, two pages of dumb cello fluff suspended in space without any context)  
> and??????? this is probably the halfway point of this fic. i say probably because I keep expanding certain scenes. right now, it'll probably end at 24 chapters??? but again, it could go longer if there's any more dopey fluff for me to write. i'm considering a minigolf chapter but i'm not 100% sure yet  
> thanks for reading!


	16. Family Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lup critiques her brother's baking choices. Taako acts like an adult, for once.

"You think they're good?" Barry asked, lugging a suitcase as big as he was up the porch stairs.

"They'll either be yelling or boning." Lup fished down her shirt; she insisted it was the perfect hiding spot for house keys. And gold. And vaguely-illegal spell components. It wasn't an awesome item retrieval system in public, but, she had been on a train for the better part of the day and didn't give two shits about any theoretical onlookers. "Either way, I'm not super  _psyched_ to go in, but..."

Barry smiled, reaching forward to squeeze Lup's hand. "Couldn't justify staying at Merle's another night?"

"Oh, we could have  _definitely_ done that." She laughed and squeezed back. "I just want to make sure they're okay. I really think Taako's got something good. You should have seen him on those first few dates. I'd never seen him so--oh, shit, what's the word?" Lup snapped her fingers, trying to find the word, and-- "Fidgety. He was fidgety."

"Really?  _Taako?"_

"I know, right?" Lup giggled. "But, y'know, he's being stubborn about it now. He should just say the obvious and move on with it."

"I seem to remember someone being fidgety and stubborn when  _we_ first started getting serious." Barry nuzzled up close behind her, still holding onto her hand--never letting go. "It was like pulling teeth trying to get you to talk."

Lup blew a raspberry, leaning back into Barry's arms. "Yeah, and I remember  _someone_   being too shy to call me out on any of that."

He laughed and kissed behind her ear, right where her neck met her skull. "It all balanced out eventually."

"Okay, but, like, if it  _doesn't,_ then we're stuck with an awkward coworker situation for  _eternity."_    Lup turned around and reached to hold his other hand. "Am I supposed to try and kick some sense into him? I mean, I can, _easily_ , but maybe I should just let it be. But, also, it would go so much faster if I just--"

 _"Lup,"_ Barry said, conveying thousands of words in a single moment of eye contact and another squeeze to the hand.

"Right--you're. You're right." Lup took a deep breath and shoved the key into the lock. "Taako's okay, he can figure it out. I won't do shit unless he asks for my help."

"Let's see how long  _that_ lasts," he said, chuckling.

Lup glared at him. Barry coughed and moved on.

The two pulled their things through the front door. They shared a raised eyebrow once they noticed the kitchen light on. Barry closed the door, quiet, and motioned for Lup to go on ahead. He dragged their luggage towards their room. Lup smiled, silently thanked him for the opening, and ran down the hall.

So, the kitchen.

First things first, the plate of sugar cookies. They sat right at the doorway--a good sign. It meant they were an invitation, that Taako didn't want to be alone. Second, the counters. All clean. Taako was cleaning as he baked, which meant he was either thinking through a problem or was worried about cross contamination. And--alright, here was the worst part--Taako was baking baumkuchen. Something he learned about twenty cycles in. Normally, he'd need a wooden spit and an open fire to make it properly, but after enough experimentation he figured out how to make it flat and without the fancy equipment. Still took hours to cook properly, especially since Taako banned magic from the kitchen now. The open flame was harder to control now that he couldn't use magic to power it. Point was, Taako only baked complicated fancy shit when something wasn't right.

Lup  _did_ just say that she wouldn't do anything unless Taako asked her to, but.

This was obviously a cry for help.

"Don't mind if I do," Lup said as she grabbed three cookies. She balanced them between her fingers like a magician holding cards, and casually slid up next to Taako. At this point, Lup was prepared for the worst; an even bigger fight, a breakup--hell, maybe Kravitz got  _murdered._   Anything was fair game.

She wasn't expecting Taako to turn around, all smiles and raised ears, and hug the wind out of her.

So, okay, Lup's known her brother forever, right? She knew how to decode this tangled mess. He knew how to decode hers. That was the deal. And, yeah, of course she hugged him back, but this was a confusing mix she hadn't seen. Taako was easily grounded by touch; he enjoyed being held, bumped, poked, laid on, pat, and slept with. But he wouldn't ever  _tell_ you that, and he certainly wouldn't ever initiate it himself for fear of his  _brand._ The only times when he did seek it out on his own were when he was lonely. But his ears were raised and he was smiling. And it wasn't a reluctant hug. Bordered on too tight, honestly. Did he just...miss  _her?_ Even though she was only gone for one day and he had spent the whole week worried about Kravitz? That could be it, she thought--maybe he wanted all his people in one place? She did too. There was a certain feeling of safety she got from sitting in a room together with her two favorite people. Traveling with the same people for a hundred years can shove a group into pack mentality pretty quick. But why would it only surface now?

"Whoa-oh, o-kay, what's all this?"

"I can't be excited to see my goddamn sister? Rude." He pushed her away, but the twitch in his ears told her it was in playful jest. He scanned the rest of the kitchen, his head moving sharp and erratic like a bird. "Where's, uh--where's Barry? I saved the shitty misshapen cookies for him."

Yeah, yeah, this was  _definitely_ a pack mentality thing. "Putting shit away."

"Cool. Great. Your trip was okay?" Changing subjects on a dime? That was something nervous-Taako did. Or deflecting-Taako. But Lup didn't do anything to provoke him. What gives?

"It was normal. Just a train. Nothing special." She took a bite out of one of her cookies. Too much sugar. Taako's measurements were always perfect, so...if he fucked up a simple sugar cookie, what happened? Was he distracted, or upset? Lup took in a breath and looked around the kitchen again. No sign of Kravitz. No dirty dishes, so Taako either cleaned them up or didn't eat dinner. "How's..."

"He's asleep," Taako said, and for him to know exactly  _who_ Lup was going to ask about meant that Kravitz was on his mind. At least the mention of Kravitz didn't seem to annoy or upset him. Maybe things were good?

"Then why're  _you_ awake?"

"I'm dead."

She squinted, as if she could see through his bullshit if she looked hard enough. "But you  _like_ to sleep."

"I had to leave to attend some goddess gossip session. Couldn't fall back asleep afterwards." Taako picked up his bowl of batter and started pouring another layer of cake. "And--then I figured, why not use these clammy hands to knead dough?"

"Sure, sure..." In her best  _I'm going to ask nicely, so you better be fucking honest_ voice, she asked, "You're okay?"

"Me? Good, good, great. Fantastic," he said in his  _I know exactly why I'm in trouble, but I'm going to pretend like I don't_ voice.

"Are you sure about that?" she asked, firmer this time.

"Yeah, why?"

"Baumkuchen, Taako?" Lup couldn't take this anymore. Taako danced so much around his problems that he could have sold ballet tickets--and Lup could only handle that for  _so long._  "We both know you don't think it's good enough to merit how  _tedious_ it is. It's fucking impossible without a spit."

He waited until he poured the batter in before answering. He needed to  _focus,_ and, yeah, she understood why. This  _was_ one of his most difficult recipes. "Uh, get off my ass, I make macaroons all the time. That's tedious as fuck."

"Yeah, but you  _like_ macaroons." 

"Are you really gonna grill me for doing something different?" Taako wasn't looking her in the eyes. Defensive. Nervous. "Maybe I just felt like I could--"

"Pour tiny layers of cake over a fire? Over and over again?" Lup knew this was the perfect time to push him farther. He wasn't angry right now, just worried. That was easier to deal with--usually if she was sympathetic enough, he'd crack and let her in on his problems. But right now, she had to be pushy, or else he'd find a way out of the conversation and shut it down. "This shit takes  _hours,_ Taako."

"I'm patient."

"Yeah, when it's something you  _like._ The last time you made Baumkuchen--" Lup froze.  _The last time Taako made Baumkuchen was when he tried to bribe one of the Raven Queen's bounty hunters in Cycle 85._ Her and Barry died early in the cycle, and it was one of the planes where the goddess was  _very strict._ But the bounty hunter was also a chef in her spare time, and challenged Taako to some crazy baking competition to win their souls back. He won, simply because the recipe he chose was so fucking  _complicated._   Lup frowned. "Are...the two of you are okay, right?"

"Yeah. Yeah, we talked, that wasn't a problem at all. We're--good." He looked down at the floor, ears flicking nervously, but he was  _smiling._   "Pretty great."

"Oh?" Lup asked, curious; for how good she was at reading Taako, this was something she hadn't seen before. She didn't know for sure, but could take a few good guesses--obviously things went well with Kravitz, first off. The fight was over, or suspended, or maybe the two stopped dragging their feet and talked to each other? Whatever it was, it was  _good,_ and she breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah." Taako's eyes went to the door, and noticed Barry waiting outside. He grabbed a plate of broken cookies and opened the door, letting him in. "Oh, shit,  _there's_ Barry!"

Barry mouthed a  _sorry_ to Lup for interrupting her interrogation. She shrugged--at least she got most of what she needed. Could get details later. He turned to Taako, stepping through the kitchen door. "You're up late."

"Don't need to sleep." Taako shoved the plate into Barry's hands. "Here, take these broken ones."

"Thanks," he said, and slid one into his mouth. "Too sweet."

"Didn't ask for your opinion." Taako took one of the cookies too, eating one whole--and then gagged. "They're-- _great,_ get off my back."

Barry shrugged and ate another one. "Didn't say they weren't great. Just sweet, is all."

"It's called a  _sugar_ cookie, not a  _salt_   cookie." Taako turned around to pick up his batter bowl. He poured out another layer onto the cake. "You two got in pretty late."

"Oh, well,  _you know."_ She laughed, knocking her hips against Barry's. He stuttered out a response, but most of his words died in his throat--not like he could talk about fucking Lup while  _her brother_ was in the room.

"Fucking  _disgusting,"_   Taako said, grimacing as he poured the final layer of batter over. He turned off the burner once it was all finished. "The two of you really need to stop being so _jived_ to talk about fucking each other while I'm here--I'm beginning to think this is some kind of sick fetish."

Barry coughed, stopping himself from choking on his cookie. _"I didn't say anything!"_

"Throwing me under the bus, babe?" Lup laughed, and then kissed his temple. Taako watched the two of them, a calculated look in his eyes. "Somethin' wrong? It's just flirting. I caught you on a _train_ with your boyfriend, I can kiss mine in the kitchen." Lup figured she could push a few buttons, see how Taako reacted--maybe she'd get details out that way.

But Taako didn't react much at all. "As long as you leave enough room for Istus between the two of you, I'm fine." He turned back to his Baumkuchen as if the conversation didn't even happen. _Weird._

Taako stared at the cake, and then to his bowl. Still had batter left. But the cake didn't have room for another layer. He tilted the bowl over the cake, but Lup grabbed the other end. "Oh, no you don't. Any more and that'll collapse in on itself." Both twins held the bowl between them. Lup pulled, and Taako did too, until they were both locked in a strange culinary tug-of-war. Then, for the first time in his life, Taako passed a strength check. The bowl slipped through Lup's fingers and hit Taako straight in the chest. The batter splattered across the front of his chest, all over his shirt.

"Oh, shit,  _sorry,"_ Lup said, ears low. She grabbed a towel and laid it in Taako's hands.

"It's cool." Taako pushed the towel back into her hands and black smoke covered his torso. The smoke dissipated after a moment, and instead of his batter-stained shirt, Taako wore an entirely new one. One that Lup had never seen before--like Taako just made it up.

"Holy shit,  _baller,"_ Lup walked forward and took the shirt fabric in her hands. Not an illusion. He'd only change his clothes with transmutation as a party trick, too, so it couldn't have been that. Conjured, most likely. But she'd never seen Taako conjure shit out of smoke. "When'd you learn that?"

"Oh, right--apparently this is, like, something I can do? Because this whole situation is a projection of my soul, or whatever?" He spun around, showing the new threads off. He grinned and the smoke surrounded him again, and he stepped out in another entirely new outfit. The colors were more muted than what she was used to Taako wearing. Maybe he was only allowed to conjure work-appropriate clothing? "Pretty freaky, right?"

Lup's jaw dropped. "You could have been conjuring your own clothing this  _whole time?"_

"Yeah, I could have. But Barry didn't tell me."

"It was in the manual," Barry said, and took another cookie off the misshapen plate. "I told you to read the whole thing."

"Why would I, when  _you_ already read it?" Taako huffed, hands on his hips. "Now I'll have to dig it out of your nerd cave."

"I left it in your room." He took the cookie in one bite, not breaking eye contact once. "Probably under all your stuff. It's a mess in there."

Taako turned to Lup and frowned. "You've gotta break up with Barold. He's getting too confident."

"Aw, I think it's cute." She ran a hand through his hair and planted a kiss on his cheek. "Love you, babe."

"I love you too," he said, an automatic answer. She learned to expect that, naturally. After so many years, it'd be weird if Barry _didn't_ say it back. But Lup's attention was on Taako. She wanted to see how he reacted hearing _that--_ she hadn't said it in front of him since they first went on vacation.

Normally, Taako would fake-gag and say something along the lines of  _ew, gross, don't say something so gooey in_ ** _my_** _kitchen,_ but instead he watched with that same calculating look in his eyes. For a moment, he stayed lost in that thought, but Lup's gaze threw him out of it. He took a minute to take his cake off its rig, refusing to look towards the couple. Once the cake was safe cooling on a plate, he turned around and asked, "Can we talk?"

 _Fucking finally!_  Lup tried very hard to keep an even face--didn't want to freak Taako out and ruin this. Luckily, she had a great poker face."Always." Lup planted a kiss on the top of Barry's head. "Barry, babe, can you give us some space?"

Barry nodded, but Taako grabbed his arm and pulled before he could take two steps. "He's--Barold's fine, it's nothing he can't listen to."

Lup and Barry shared a curious glance before Barry let his eyes meet Taako's. "Are you sure, I can always--"

"This is a family meeting now, I've decided." Taako pulled Barry over to the table, and grabbed Lup as they passed. "But you've got to promise to go easy on me or this is over, capiche?"

For Taako to insist that this was a family meeting...honestly, Lup was a little afraid. But, again, poker face. "Got it," Lup said. She sat down and gestured for the boys to do the same.

Barry still looked uneasy in this space. Even after so many years, he was still nervous being included in twin talks. Which was bullshit--Taako was the one that invited him to talk. Barry belonged here. Taako and Lup knew they had to expand the family once Barry started dating her. They had a whole conversation about it. And...maybe they'd have to have another similar conversation soon, judging by how fidgety Taako was sitting across from them. Lup held Barry's hand under the table to steady him. He took in a breath and asked, "Is...there something wrong?"

"No." Taako looked like he wanted to say something more, but only shook his head. "No," he repeated.

"Then, everything's good?" Lup asked.

"No, uh. Not that either." Taako's face contorted in discomfort. He knocked his forehead against the table, a hollow  _thunk_ echoing the room. "I don't know."

Lup curled a hand around Taako's and ran a soothing thumb over the palm. "C'mon, bro, talk to me."

"Thought you said you'd go easy," he mumbled.

"This  _is_ me going easy." She let out a huff and tapped his cheek. "Spit it out."

Taako poked his head back up, his chin on the table and his arms hiding half his face. Lup could swear she heard him mumbling something into his arm.

"Sorry? Can't hear you."

His face burned bright. Frustrated, he buried his face in his arms again. He mumbled something else into his arms. 

"You with us?" Lup knocked lightly on the crown of his head. "C'mon."

In a blur, he lifted his face out of his arms and blurted out, "I'm in love with Kravitz."

_He's--_

Lup's face cycled between different variants of shock before settling into complete joy. She pulled Taako into a hug that, judging by his squawking, was too tight. It was _about time,_ Lup thought.

"I said  _go easy!"_ Taako wrestled an arm out of Lup's grasp and pawed it towards Barry. "Barold,  _save me."_

"No can do, buddy," he said, a smile just as wide as Lup's plastered on his face.

Taako let out a wordless whine. Still, he didn't try too hard to break off from Lup's death grip.

She took pity on him and loosened her grip. "So, since when?"

He lost himself in his own thoughts for a moment before answering. "Uh, I guess, for a while? But I didn't, didn't really, _figure it out_ until we had a fight."

Lup burst out into laughter. "That's fucked up!"

"I just, I asked him if he wanted to break up and he said no, but, then he asked me the same thing? And--shit, it _does_ sound fucked up when I put it like that." Taako scoot his chair away from Lup and her grabby hands. "Long story short, I, uh, sort of--realized how much it'd mess with both of us if we split up, and, the feeling just kind of--happened."

"Still seems kind of fucked up." Lup clicked her tongue.

"At least he didn't realize it while Kravitz was being _electrocuted_ by a robot." Barry glared at Lup, who let out a laugh--not guilty at all, then.

Taako relaxed a bit, throwing his feet on the table and his hands behind his head. "And at least it didn't take me _twenty years_ to talk about it."

Lup rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, we _get_ it, you're breaking records in speed-dating."

"It's too fast, isn't it?" His five seconds of relaxation ended. Instead of being thrown directly into a frenzied nervous stammer, though, he just looked...pensive. Thoughtful. "I didn't think--I thought it would take longer to be, like, _invested_ in him." He paused, but when Lup and Barry failed to fill the silence, he kept talking. "But--fuck--even, just, our shitty wine and pottery date? Where he didn't even know it was a date? That was--I just started-- _talking_ about myself, and why I joined the Bureau, like it was nothing."

"Where are you going with this?" Lup asked, maybe a  _little_ impatient.

"I guess--" Taako groaned. "He fuckin'--he _looks_ at me and it's like, fuck, I want to tell him everything? I can't leave anything to mystery when he's lookin' so, _goddamn patient_   and shit. Can't take it."

"I wouldn't call that a bad thing, Taako," Barry said.

"I haven't gotten to the worst part." Taako pulled his feet off the table and steepled his fingers together, more attentive. "It's like--I want to do the same? For him? He said me he doesn't tell me when he's feeling bad sometimes and it--fuckin'--felt someone lanced me in the chest."

"Wow, shit." Lup let out a low whistle. "You're in pretty deep."

"Right?"

"How is it?" 

 _"Horrible."_ Taako snorted, drumming his fingers against the table. "No, it's--fine. Just fucking me up a little bit. I'll figure it out, there's--time for that." 

Lup almost lost it, right then and there. There it was. The most adult thing her brother's ever said. She felt like crying, really. Or cheering. Something. But, no, she settled for a quiet nod. She watched as Taako asked Barry some questions-- _Asking for help? H_ _oly shit, who replaced Taako?--_ and, after realizing that she was drowning out half their words, she left the table. Was eight in the morning too early for alcohol? The person who invented mimosas obviously didn't get that memo. Taako's mood whiplash tired her out, and this was just what she needed. As she mixed the drink, though, she saw Barry and Taako's expectant faces from the table.  _Fine._ She made three.

She dropped the drinks in front of her boys and sat back down with her own. "Have you told him?"

"I  _tried,"_ Taako sighed out, fingers circling the rim of the glass. "But, I dunno, it wouldn't come out in front of him. I can--like, obviously I can say it in front of _other_ people, no problem."

"Don't force it," Barry said, just as Lup started to say the opposite.

"Babe, don't coddle him. If he can say it here, he can say it in front of Gothboy."

Barry shook his head. "Kravitz probably doesn't want to hear the words forced." 

"Yeah, he's considerate like that..." Taako nodded, lost in thought.

Lup snapped her fingers right in front of Taako's face. _No, no, don't let him get comfortable._ "What, you want him to string the poor guy along?"

It was adorable watching Barry backpedal so fast. "No, not at all, all I'm saying is tha--"

Taako huffed. "You don't have to worry about me, I'm not going to just  _give up_   on telling him." He slumped over in his seat. "I guess I just, don't know where to start?"

The table fell into silence, nursing their drinks. Barry shrugged and offered, "Could start with saying 'me too' instead."

"That's cowardly," Lup said.

"Write it down? Kravitz seems like the type of guy who would like that."

"Even worse." Lup groaned, but noticed Barry deflating.  _Oh, maybe that was some kinda hint? Note to self: maybe write a love letter to Barry later?_

"He'd probably cherish it forever, though, the goddamn sap," Taako said, twirling his drink. "Listen, I'll deal. I just, kind of, need time?"

"Hm, maybe if we locked the two of you in a closet together..." 

Taako pushed her shoulder. The whole table laughed, and moved on to talking about vampires--whether or not double vampires were possible if two vampires bit one person at the same time. Barry was neutral on the subject, until Lup needed him to agree with her. Was this an unfair way of using her boyfriend? Probably. But she could only do this for so long, because eventually there would be  _four_ people fighting about vampires at this table. There wasn't much chance she could get Kravitz to take her side all the time. Maybe sometimes--he  _did_ agree with her on the werewolf debate. He seemed like the type of guy that would be  _fair_ and  _honest_ about his votes. Gross.

"Hey, uh, so--the two of you--"  Taako said, in the middle of their good vampire conversation. "You're okay with him, right?"

Lup took the final sip of her drink. "Hm?"

"Like, uh." He tapped his glass, ears down, nervous. "You like Kravitz? He's good?"

"Well, that depends," she said, setting her glass in the middle of the table. "He makes you happy?"

"Do you even have to ask?" And, no, she didn't. Taako was  _that_ obvious. Or maybe she just knew him that well. "Thought I made that pretty clear."

"Then, yeah, _duh,_ I like him." Lup held her brother's hand, squeezing it. "I think he's good for you. Really. Don't know why you need my fuckin' blessing, but, there it is."

Taako flicked her hand away, but the smile creeping on his lips betrayed him. He turned away from Lup. "And you, Barold?"

Barry _barely_ stopped himself from spitting out his drink. "You--want to know if _I_   approve of Kravitz?"

"Yeah."

"I-I mean, ye-yes? He's. Uh. I've talked to him a lot, and. Uh." Barry picked at the wood grain of the table. "You really care if I like him?"

Taako groaned. "You're so fucking  _dense,_ goddamn. Of course I care, you're my fucking  _brother._ Didn't think I had to spell that one out for you."

Barry beamed, and an insane wave of fullness washed over Lup. This was her  _family._ She never thought she'd  _get_ that. For such a long time, it was just her and Taako. Sure, the Starblaster crew was her family. But at the same time, it was impossible to put any of them above Taako or Barry in her mind. She'd have a hard time ranking the two of them, too--yeah, she loved both of them with all her heart, but it was two different types of love. For a moment, a bad thought passed through Lup's mind; what if there wasn't room for Kravitz here? Would she be able to take him in the same way Taako took to Barry? Was she ready to hand her brother off to another person? 

The man in question walked through the door, exhausted. Barely awake--good, he probably didn't hear them talking about him. 

"It's early, what're you doing up?" Taako asked, but made a seat for him at the table. 

"I heard voices." He squinted at the table. "Is this another conversation about werewolves?"

Lup waved her hand. "Nah, we're talking about vampires."

"Vampires," he said dryly.

"Yep, that's right--" Taako pulled Kravitz to sit at the table, bouncing in his seat. "Babe--babe, do your Dracula voice."

Kravitz sighed, tired and groggy. "I'm not at work."

"Please?"

"Oh, no, there's no reason I should--" Immediately, Kravitz sprang up to full energy and grasped at Taako's shoulders, speaking in a shitty Dracula impression. _"I vant to suck your blood!"_

Barry and Taako lost it immediately, tears in their eyes.

Lup slammed her palm on the table, grinning. "Wait, wait--we were actually talking about  _double_ vampires." 

He seemed to get the picture. "If a regular vampire is like this, then--" Kravitz' voice went down an entire octave. "A do-DOUble vampvire is, like, heere!"

More wheezing and crying from Barry and Taako. They would never recover. A twinkle passed Lup's eye. "What about--" she snorted, "What about a quadruple vampire? What would that sound like?"

"Oh, well--" Kravitz lowered his voice again, and now it sounded like he had fifty marshmallows in his mouth. "A qvadrupvle vampire is dovwn  _here--"_ He paused, waiting for the sounds of Barry and Taako's wailing to die down, before shoving two auditory pillows down his throat and saying, "And--and ahn octuple vampvire iss  _HEEBRE--"_

Taako pressed his forehead into Kravitz' shoulder. 

In his same _octuple vampire_   voice (which, again, sounded like snails were constantly falling out of his mouth), Kravitz turned to Taako and said, "Iah wvant to schuck your _bvlood--"_ and then, he added,  _"DONKEY!"_ which seemed to shock him as much as it did the rest of the table. Screams and whines of  _"where did THAT come from???"_ passed all through the kitchen. Kravitz suddenly regretted every decision that led him to this moment. He shrank in embarrassment while Lup and Taako pounded on the table, trying their damnedest to replicate the horrible vampire sounds. Barry said something about wanting to cut open Kravitz' vocal cords to study, sending the twins farther into a fit of wheezing laughter. 

Lup smiled.

Yeah.

The family could _definitely_   expand to fit one more. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me at me: stop throwing in mbmbam references word for word in this fic  
> also me: OCTUPLE VAMPIRE
> 
> so, remember when I said I wasn't going to be posting these at night? i'm not, this was an exception. i got a job interview and i got really happy, so. you get this chapter early because i'm in a good mood. don't.....abuse this power  
> next chapter.............................................is lovingly titled in my drafts as "kravitz plays taako" so, again, make of that what you will


	17. Having Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz does some flirting, has some Bad Thoughts, and gets a present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey everyone! this chapter...gets a little nsfw! nothing explicit--it's just flirting that gets Way Too Out Of Hand. really, it's mostly in the dialogue. they get a little close at the end, but again, it's not explicit. (just stop reading after kravitz plays the cello) (it's about the same as what was in the bonus chapter, if that helps?) i just thought I'd warn ya'll just in case?? otherwise, this is probably my favorite fluff i've written for this fic so far. (next chapter is even better though :3c) anyway, enjoy!!

"Tah-dahh!"

Taako threw open the door to the cabin. Kravitz shuffled inside without taking any time to drink in the image; too cold to think. The snow came up to his calves, and even with two coats Kravitz' entire body was shivering. Kravitz lost feeling in his ears, nose, and tips of his fingers while they trudged through the snow. Was that normal? He wasn't getting frostbite, was he? Even with gloves, his hands felt chilled down to the bone. He could feel his lungs getting cold from the winter air, and, shit, was that _supposed_ to happen? Kravitz wondered if snow was _always_ this cold, or if his skin was more sensitive than he remembered. His teeth must have been chattering--he heard a dull knocking sound echoing in his skull.

"Oh, geez, poor thing," he heard in Taako's voice, but wasn't focused enough to connect the voice to the body.

"Am I dying?" Kravitz asked, not concerned with how ridiculous that made him sound.

"Not even a little bit." He pressed a matchbox into Kravitz' hands. "Why don't you light the fireplace? I'll get you something warm to drink." Taako leaned up to kiss his cheek--it felt like the left side of his was flash frozen from the contact, a thin sheet of ice creeping over his cheek like ivy on lattice.

Maybe that was hyperbole, but Kravitz was already cold enough. This wasn't helping.

"Fu-- _augh, that's **cold!"**_    Not gracefully, Kravitz elbowed Taako away. He pulled his scarf up over his mouth and shut the door to the cabin. At least now the cold air wasn't howling against his back. He rubbed the (hopefully metaphorical) freezer burn off his cheek and pouted at his cold and weird boyfriend. "Taako, do I always feel this cold to you? This is _dreadful."_

Taako shrugged. "It's nice in the summer." And then, his voice trailed off into a quiet and embarrassed tone. "Also, uh, I'm kind of into it? To the point that--uh, I've been missing, uh. I miss--I miss your...uh. Cold."

Kravitz' eyes widened. "Taako," he said, a realization suddenly hitting him like a truck. He remembered the end of their first date, when Taako claimed he wasn't crazy about his clammy hands, and after their first kiss when Taako pulled back to complain about how cold and weird it was. He used spells to warm him up after that. Until the portal. When he stopped Kravitz from warming his face and kissed it cold. He didn't use the warming spell as often after that, and Kravitz had just assumed he needed the slots to keep his glamour up. And then he stopped warming Kravitz altogether, even if it was freezing outside. Even if they were about to-- "Is that why you 'run out of spell slots' almost every night before you come to bed?"

The look on Taako's face was enough of an answer.

"Listen," Taako said, in his _I'm about to say something completely batshit but I'm also going to try and play it off as normal_ voice, "If I--if I can't be honest about _my_ temperature-based needs in front of my criminally freezing boyfriend, then, wh--"

"You have a temperature fetish." It was a statement, not a question.

A statement that turned Taako into a stammering mess. "Wh-why don't you just--light the goddamn fire, and I'll--I'll go make you the best fuckin', best hot chocolate you've ever had?"

Even though he was still freezing his ass off, Kravitz leaned in and grinned, inches from Taako's face. "Is that why you've been having trouble getting o--"

His voice went up two and a half octaves as he screeched, "I'll be _in the kitchen!"_ But the cabin was open-concept, so Kravitz could watch Taako's uncomfortably shaky jog all the way to the kitchen.

Kravitz chuckled to himself. He mentally filed away the new information, promising to circle back and visit this weird ice fetish later. Taako didn't fluster as easily as Kravitz did, but when he did it was cute. The whole image warmed Kravitz' heart. Metaphorically. Metaphorically warmed. He was still freezing his ass off. Oh, that was right--Taako gave him matches. Was there a fireplace or a hearth in here?

For the first time, Kravitz took in the cabin's layout and decor. Only three rooms--a bathroom, a bedroom, and...everything else. The living room/kitchen/dining room was the largest, but it wouldn't have been able to accommodate more than three people comfortably. A small island was the only thing that separated the kitchen from the rest of the room, so Kravitz could watch Taako's every action. Decorations were nice. Magnus would probably appreciate the rustic aesthetic of this place more than Kravitz or Taako, but this whole cabin retreat was Lup's idea and nobody dared challenge her. Still, it was cozy enough. Cute. Homely. Quaint. Looked like a vacation home for an old married couple. The dining table was no larger than a card table, with only two chairs. A couch sat in front of the stone fireplace--which was what Kravitz needed most right now. Just a bit of warmth. 

He knelt down next to the mantle and struck a match against the fireplace's stone, just to be safe. Would ruin the moment if he struck it against wood and lit the whole place on fire. Except, it didn't light. He struck it again--a spark jolted off the side, but the match refused to light aflame. Desperately, he struck it once, twice, four more times, but it wouldn't light. His hands were shaking from the cold, still, was that the problem? He wondered if the matches were broken. Kravitz tried another one, and had trouble with that one, too. None of them seemed to want to light.

Fuck, it had _been_ a while since he'd have to do things like _light fires_ and _keep warm._   Usually he'd use some kind of spell to light the fire, but now this was a fucking challenge. Kravitz wasn't about to be defeated by a sliver of wood. Fuck arson, he was determined to get this going. He tried striking it on the wood in the fireplace, on the metal grate in front of it, even on the bottom of his _shoe--_ no fire. Tried striking it anywhere, safety be damned. Taako walked back in, two mugs in hand, Kravitz leaning under the coffee table trying to strike the match on one of the table's legs.

The grin Taako wore would have embarrassed Kravitz if he hadn't come to expect it. "Don't know how to light a match, sweetheart?" Taako sat one of the mugs down, snapped his fingers, and a fire magically appeared in the hearth. He handed Kravitz the mug that he still held.

"Seems that I don't have to." He took the mug in his hands. "These might be broken, Taako, they don't light when struck."

Taako gave him a confused look until the thought hit him. "Oh, shit--I forgot you're _old."_   He grabbed the matchbox and showed it to Kravitz. "They make matches different now. Those're safety matches. You've gotta strike them on the box." His finger traced a strip on the side of the box, red and textured.

Kravitz took the box in his hands and ran his thumb over the strip. _"On_...the box?"

"Yep."

He frowned. "You can't just strike them anywhere?"

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Dunno, I'm not a match-ologist." Taako picked his mug back up and took a sip. "All I know is that they don't make strike anywhere matches anymore, and you gotta do it this way now. Go ahead, try it." He sat himself on the couch, lounging as he watched Kravitz learn to strike a match.

Kravitz took a seat next to the fireplace and held a match between his fingers. It took a few strikes, but he had a steady little flame on the stick after striking it against the strip. "Oh." He pulled the flame closer, letting the warmth from the fireplace, the match, and the mug (which now sat next to his leg) wash over him. "Well, that's easier."

"Modern technology, yeah." Taako watched him, eyes darting over--hold on a second, was Taako _checking him out?_   As if they hadn't been dating for half a year. Kravitz wasn't doing anything even remotely attractive, he knew, but that's never stopped Taako before. Kravitz raised a brow, grinning. Taako's cheeks and ears turned red in a flash, caught in the act. "Although, y'know, not as modern as I'm used to."

"Your home world must have been very advanced." Kravitz suffocated the match. He picked up his hot chocolate mug and took a sip; did wonders to ease the chill. And, like everything Taako made, was delicious. He didn't have to tell him at this point--Taako knew by the look on his face that he loved it. Kravitz sat down on the couch next to him and asked, "Do you miss it? Your home world?"

He shrugged. "Not even a little bit. More shit will get invented later, and if I'm bored enough I can always throw in a few 'Taako originals.' If Miller can steal from the Plane of Thought, I can steal from my own fucking home, right? And it's not as bright here, so, it doesn't get as hot and that's nice." Taako leaned into the back of the couch as he spoke, lazy eyes looking anywhere but Kravitz. "I didn't leave anyone important behind on that old two-sunned thing. I've got Lup. The crew. You." He blinked and focused his eyes on Kravitz on the last word.

Blew him away, really.

Kravitz smiled, feeling a swell in his chest and a warmth in his cheeks. Not embarrassed, not even a little bit. Happy that the Raven Queen let him live (die?) to see the Miller lab and happy Istus kept Taako living long enough for the two to meet. "You didn't know I existed back then."

"Well--I mean, let's be thankful I didn't, or else you would'a gotten eaten by the Vore Cloud." Taako shifted closer, and then back away, a considerate gesture that made Kravitz' heart dance in his chest. "And, honestly, even if I didn't, like, _remember,_ it really, uh. Helped? To have you around. When I didn't know what the fuck was going on."

"Taako, that's--"

"Like, uh--I'm serious, Krav, havin' something to myself that wasn't--it wasn't work? It was fun, and, y-y-you didn't, ever, fuckin'--I mean, I know I was, I lost a lot of my good magic, but." Taako twisted his face into something serious, deep in thought. "I mean, I still graduated top of my fuckin' class with my sister, even if I didn't _remember_ that, and, you--I guess, respected me? Even if I cracked jokes and shit, I, never felt like you thought I was one? So. Thanks?"

He let the words fall over the room and sit there before trying to think of an answer. Took the words in cautiously. Taako hadn't spoken much about his stolen century since he got his memories back, other than a few words about how good it was to have his sister back. Kravitz took a breath, this massive amount of trust affecting him more than it should have. "You were always interesting, Taako. Even before you remembered. Even before _I_ heard about it. I've told you that, haven't I?" He tucked a stray strand of hair behind Taako's ear. "I loved you, I love you, and I will love you, Taako, no matter what you do or don't remember."

If Kravitz was keeping track as well as Taako, he'd be sure those were ninety-four, ninety-five, and ninety-six.

He wondered if that was too much. Taako's eyes widened, and he refused to look at Kravitz' face. Really, it looked like he wanted to say something, but couldn't find the perfect way to say it. He was lost in thought for an unnerving amount of time, and Kravitz worried that the words were too much. He'd gladly do anything to keep Taako comfortable, even if it meant retiring the words for a bit. Even if it meant retiring the words forever?  _(Shit.)_ But Taako didn't say there was anything wrong with them. Maybe the number was getting too high? Kravitz would have to ask later.

Soon enough, the unnerved look on Taako's face disappeared and a more performed one replaced it. "Well, good. Because, out of the two of us I'm the smarter one now, so you'll have to get used to that." He waggled a finger right in front of Kravitz' face and laughed. "Not that it was much of a contest, 'cause, honestly, you're kind of a dummy. Lucky that you're pretty."

"I think I can deal with that, love." He broke into a smile, scooting closer and taking Taako into his arms. "Come here."

"No, lemme warm up my face." Taako made a big show of using his breath to warm up his face. "Don't want it to be _cold and weird."_

"I'm not freezing anymore, you're alright." Kravitz ran a thumb along Taako's cheek, and-- "Wow, that _is_ clammy."

"Obviously you don't have the same _appreciation_ of the temperature difference like Taako does."

"I _appreciate_   the difference, but, I prefer being the colder one."

Taako grinned, his face inches away from Kravitz'. "Now who's the one with the fetish?"

"Still you." Kravitz went ahead and kissed him, temperature be damned. Taako draped his whole weight over Kravitz, considerate enough not to put his ice-tongue in his mouth. Probably saving it for later, when he's warm all the way through. Or if he gets bored and uses a spell to warm him immediately. But, for now, Kravitz' body heat did a good enough job of getting Taako out of _freezing_ territory and into _lukewarm._ Kravitz pulled back and grinned, grazed his lips against Taako's jaw. "Don't worry, we can focus on finding other things that...get you going. Turn this into something explorative."

It was a good thing Taako didn't need to breathe, or else he would have choked and died right there.

"This cabin is nice," Kravitz said immediately after, changing the subject on a dime knowing it would be a tease. It was nice to tease Taako every once in a while. Although, even though he wasn't the one being teased, Kravitz' heart still fluttered and flipped when he said it himself. At least he was a good actor.

For what it was worth, Taako was great at recovering. "Yeah, that's what happens when you let Lup pick something 'romantic.'" He fluttered his eyelashes and stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Her and Barold can get so...fuckin', _domestic_   and shit."

"It's not so bad." Kravitz nudged his nose into Taako's neck. "I'm glad we have our own cabin, though."

"Don't like my sister?" he asked, maybe hoping to turn the teasing tables back in his favor.

Kravitz pulled back from his neck. "I adore Lup and Barry, they're--very welcoming." He leaned back in, cheek against cheek, lips against Taako's ear. "I'm glad we have a private cabin so that we can both be _loud."_

"My man, you are pushing _all_ the right buttons today." Taako turned to brush his nose against Kravitz'. "Do you have plans?"

"A few." He kissed Taako's cheek and leaned backwards, back against the seat of the couch. "Maybe for later, though."

"Such a fuckin' tease," Taako said, following him down, laying kisses wherever he could reach. "Gotta say, though, I'm into that. You bein' all--confident, and shit."

"Yeah?"

"Mhmm, you look happy."

"I am happy, with you."

For a brief moment, Taako had that same look on his face--like he wanted to say something. The look was even more obvious now that Taako actually held eye contact with Kravitz through it. This time it didn't last as long, because a few seconds later he was kissing Kravitz, hands cradling his cheeks and jaw. And--it wasn't as if this was the first or the last time Taako kissed him. But, this time, Taako kissed him like he was trying to make a point. Kravitz didn't know what that point was, or if it was good, but the kiss was _great._ Slower and softer than what Taako usually dictated, but it shot electricity through Kravitz' veins.

It felt like Taako was trying to telegraph something into the kiss, but _jeezy creezy,_ was Kravitz not listening. Taako's mouth had warmed up from the hot chocolate, slipping past lukewarm straight into burning. Kravitz tangled his fingers in his hair, ran hands down his back, touched Taako anywhere he could. Even though he had to pull back to breathe, it didn't matter--every breath warmed his face and every inhalation smelled like Taako. He wondered how long Taako would stay with him, how many nights and days he would be invited in. Kravitz would stay forever if he was allowed. He knew he wouldn't be, knowing that even if Taako wasn't playing him that this was probably a lopsided relationship.

Taako didn't feel the same way, and that was _fine._

Didn't mean Kravitz couldn't enjoy himself, or let Taako enjoy himself.

Sure, Kravitz was built for stable relationships. He wanted something permanent. That wasn't a secret. Taako never said he didn't want that outright, but his spirit and his lack of-- _certain_ words let Kravitz think that he'd never get them. And, _fuck,_ that was fine! This was his first relationship in--in _centuries._ Taako didn't have to be the last person he dated--Kravitz wouldn't complain if he was--but Taako probably didn't want that--and so, Kravitz resigned himself to the idea that Taako would date him for a couple decades, get bored, and move on. He'd be awkward with Lup and Barry for a while and avoid them at the workplace, and then he'd--fucking, find another mortal? Or a single coworker? But then, at least he wouldn't be out of practice, and he'd be fucking _suave_ and he'd figure out a way to get married while dead.

And..it probably wouldn't be with Taako.

He was... _fine_ with that.

As long as Taako kept kissing him like _this,_ it was fine. It was fun!

He could do _fun._

"Stay right here," Taako said, breathless after pulling away. He hopped off of Kravitz and ran into the bedroom. "I've got something for you."

Taako had kissed all the common sense out of Kravitz, so he laid there dumbstruck for a moment. It wasn't completely out of character for Taako to kiss him stupid and leave, but what the fuck was that? He hadn't been kissed like _that_ since the sapphire portal. It was-- _so nice._ Eventually, he sat up again, confused, worried that Taako hadn't come back yet. A very, _very_ bad thought in the back of his mind screamed that this was the moment Taako would bail on him. He shooed that away right quick--that moment wouldn't come for another few decades. Probably. Hopefully.

He turned around when he heard the door open. Taako dragged a wrapped package half his size, covered in garish paper and ribbon. Kravitz stood to meet Taako to help him with the package. It was heavy, but not as heavy as a package that size _should_ have been--maybe it was hollow inside? "What's this, love?"

"Early Candlenights gift," he said, lugging it to lay on the coffee table.

"Oh, no, I didn't bring yours--"

"Shh, shhhh, no. Open it before you start whining about any of that." He flopped down on the couch, gesturing Kravitz to go ahead.

Still, Kravitz felt a bit guilty he didn't bring Taako's gift. He hid it in the laundry hamper (knowing Taako never _did_ laundry) wrapped up nice already. A portal to a demiplane disguised as a pocket that could be attached into his wizard hat, allowing for infinite storage. Taako could visit the demiplane on his own using spells, appearing like a little storage room. He spent two hours bargaining for it at Fantasy Costco. All it took was a hundred gold and a pint of his own blood. A steal, really--although, he wondered what Garfield needed with all that blood.

He peeled back the paper, revealing an oversized wooden crate. Kravitz searched the edges for some way to open it. "Is there some sort of latch, or--"

Wordlessly, Taako handed him a crowbar.

Kravitz looked down at it, more confused than he had ever been in his life or death. _"Where did this come from?"_

"I'm a fucking wizard, you figure it out." He grinned madly, his back hitting the seat of the couch in a light _thud_ and an arm draping over his forehead. "They haven't changed crowbars in the past half century, so I hope you remember how to use it."

Without much fanfare, Kravitz pried the top panel of the crate. Taako booed, disappointed he didn't get much of a show. Kravitz set the crowbar next to the coffee table. "If you wanted theatrics, you should have told me."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think you'd be so--fuckin', good at crowbars."

"I _am_ a lot sturdier than you, dear."

"Are you going to look in the box or not?"

Kravitz chuckled, and moved packing straw out of the way to see what was inside. If he didn't know any better, he'd think there was a second box inside. But no--it was a case. An instrument case. He undid the latch on the side and opened the case, still rested in the box, and--

Taako listened to him.

Kravitz almost burst into tears, right there.

Inside the case was a cello. Slightly larger than standard size (he told Taako offhand once that he was too tall for full sizes), and stained so dark it looked black in the dim cabin lighting. Whole thing was hand-carved and glued, done with a master's hand. The body of the cello had stylized silver feathers on the edges of the sides and the _f_   holes. More designs Kravitz didn't recognize were painted all over, some in silver paint and some in a glittering sapphire color. It was...distressingly beautiful. Light caught the silver paint and the whole cello seemed to glow.

"Oh, Taako, this is--" He gently lifted the cello out of the case, carefully sitting down on the coffee table and resting the cello in playing position. He plucked the strings--out of tune. Kravitz checked to see if the neck was warped from delivery, and it wasn't, so he started fiddling with the major tuning pegs. "I've missed playing. This...is wonderful, thank you." He looked up from the cello to smile at Taako. He smiled back, warm and soft, and Kravitz wondered if this was all some kind of dream.

"I mean, let's be real, this is mostly a present to me." Taako sat up, eyes lighting in sparkles watching Kravitz with the gift. "Couldn't stop thinking about you playing since you mentioned it."

"I'll be sure to play it often, then." Kravitz plucked the C string, listened to how the sound wobbled as he tuned it. "Why not wait until Candlenights?"

"Thought I should give this to you early, because if you open this up with everyone else around, they'd just pressure you into playing it." Taako leaned forward, ears flicking as he listened to Kravitz tuning. Seemed to enjoy it even if he wasn't playing a real song yet. "And, like, if you don't want them to, I can get you a fake gift to open for the real Candlenights."

"That's very thoughtful of you, but I don't have any problems playing in front of your family." 

"Then I'll wrap it up again real nice before Candlenights. Pretend to be surprised." Taako reached his hands out to press the cello back against Kravitz when he tried to give it back. "Not now, 'cause I planned for you to play it for me all week."

"I think that can be arranged," Kravitz said, leaning forward to plant a soft little kiss on Taako. All the strings settled in tune, so Kravitz reached back into the box for bow and rosin. He tightened the bow, and then ran rosin over the hairs to condition them. There was some phrase in Elvish script carved into the bow--he'd have to ask Taako what it meant later. "This isn't off the rack, who built this?"

"It was made by some lady from Raven's Roost--Magnus recommended her, she's been carving these out for five hundred years." Taako kept his eyes fixed on Kravitz. "Seemed pretty excited to do something quick when I walked in--oh, and, if the glue didn't settle properly or something's wrong, we can take it back to get it fixed."

"Nothing's out of place. It's beautiful." He plucked all four strings in succession, perfectly tuned now. "It's--it _sounds_ beautiful."

"Well, it had to match you," Taako said in a tone that he would have gagged at if Lup had said it. _Sickeningly sweet_ , is what he would call it.

Taako was...different, lately. Kravitz couldn't put a finger on _what_ changed, or why, but it was there. He made elaborate pastries and dishes that Kravitz had never eaten before, asking which ones he liked the best. Kravitz caught him holding the shitty vase he made on their first date, just--smiling, for no good reason. He'd have lapses in thought after intimate moments, and then change the subject immediately. Taako did everything he could to get Kravitz in the same room as Lup and Barry, who also acted different around him. He had been meaning to ask Taako what was going on, but...at the same time, Kravitz enjoyed it. It allowed him to pretend, for a moment, that Taako was more serious about this than he was in reality. But then Kravitz had to remind himself all over again that this was just for fun. He loved Taako, but Taako didn't love him back. And that was-- _fine._

It was _confusing_ , but it was fine.

Kravitz let out a soft laugh, leaning in to kiss Taako again. "What's gotten into you lately?"

"You, mostly." He grinned, and then laughed once he saw Kravitz' face. "Don't look so disgusted! You've been--fuckin', teasing me since we got in here!"

"It's different when you say it outright," he said, but held back a giggle.

Taako moved to sit next to Kravitz, still sitting awkwardly on the coffee table. He pressed his nose into the side of Kravitz' face, smiling as he listened to the errant notes he would bow every once in a while. "Oh, so ice fetishes and screaming are on the table, but talking about your dick is a dealbreaker?"

"Alright, I think it's time for me to play my first song." Kravitz laid the bow on the strings and played out a few notes. "I call this one, _My Boyfriend is an Asshole."_

"I'm suing you for copyright, _I_ was the one that wrote that song." He kissed beside Kravitz' ear and laughed.

"Then I'm sure you know how it goes," Kravitz said, scooting in closer to Taako. "Maybe _you_ should play it." He edged the cello closer to his boyfriend.

Taako took it, only to keep Kravitz from pushing it any farther. "I, uh. Don't know how to play?"

Silently, Kravitz moved his hands to cover Taako's, a strange reflection of their pottery date. "I'm sure you learned how at _some_ point in your hundred year journey."

He thought for a moment, and then grinned. "I guess I did, huh? Ohh, but I'm so out of practice..." Taako draped an arm over his forehead, sighing audibly. "If only someone could help me get back into the swing of it." Wink wink wink.

Kravitz nudged Taako's fingers into the right position and laid the bow in his other hand. "It's like this," he said, showing him the way he had to hold the bow, relaxed, almost drooping. "Don't tense up. It sounds better if you relax."

 _"Don't tense up,"_   Taako mimicked, eerily similar to one of Kravitz' horrible accents, "You sure we're still talking about the cello, my man?"

"I have _no idea_ what you're alluding to," Kravitz said, lips against Taako's neck. They both drew the bow across the strings together, Kravitz shifting Taako's fingers every once in a while. Not playing anything specific, just. Playing. Together. He loved the contact, the absentminded little song they played. It sounded bad, but he didn't mind. His ears were already full of Taako's laughter, and that was better than any song they could have played.

After a few minutes, though, Taako turned to look at him and asked, "This is fun, but when are you goin' to serenade me for real?" He moved out of the way and laid the cello back into Kravitz' arms.

"Give me a moment to pick a song." Kravitz settled himself on the couch--too uncomfortable to keep using the coffee table as a bench. Taako followed.

"Can you play your originals?" Taako pouted. "Even if it's one of the ones you wrote in the dark ages."

"You liked those?"

"Oh, beautiful, I _loved_ those." The nickname and the compliment sent a jolt down Kravitz' spine. Lately, Taako had been liberal with compliments and pet names--probably because of the massage stunt. But he was also experimenting with using the L-word in his compliments. According to Taako's counting rules, this didn't count, so Kravitz was polite and didn't comment on it. He never expected an explicit _I love you,_ but. He'd like one. Yet, at the same time, Kravitz reminded himself that probably wasn't on Taako's agenda. Again, Taako wouldn't want to be with him forever, so it was _fine,_ Kravitz could--he could just have _fun_ with Taako and not worry. Still, it was a bit of a tease to hear the word _love_ in Taako's voice. "Anything out of you would be perfect."

"I've been writing another one. It's not finished, and I'm not sure how well it will translate to cello, but..." 

"That'll do," Taako said, excitedly waving his hand.

Kravitz pulled the bow over the first note and stumbled. This song had a few chords that were impossible to recreate on a cello. He was usually good at improvising, but he hadn't played the cello in centuries _and_ there was a really hot elf watching his every move--it was normal to have a little bit of performance anxiety, right?

The song was--bad, really. Not a good cello song. It really needed the harmonies that playing two-handed on a piano could give, and the range was too narrow. He also hadn't played for centuries, so his fingers didn't have the same calloused edge that allowed him to press down hard enough. The strings buzzed, he moved the bow too fast on the longer notes, he noticed halfway through that he tuned the G string a semitone lower than it should have been. Kravitz looked up to watch Taako; the look on his face confused him. It looked like the face of someone that just heard a masterpiece in a concert hall, not this shaky poorly-translated cello solo.

"Was that...good? I haven't played in a long time, so it was a little rusty, but--"

"That's _hot,"_ he blurted out, face flushed and ears high.

"Is it?" Kravitz grinned, familiar with that look on Taako's face. "Tell me about it."

"Fu- _fuck."_  Taako ran a hand down his face. "The fingers, definitely. And, uh--I've told you that--you're hot when you're concentrating, right? There's--fuck, there's a lot."

"It sounds like you're jealous of my new cello." He smiled, running his hands along the fingerboard.

"What, like it's a secret?"

Kravitz smirked, delicately setting the cello aside to a safe resting spot. He opened his arms, wide and inviting. Taako happily obliged, slotting himself into his arms, back against Kravitz' chest, head underneath his chin. _"Perfect,_ dear, you really _know_ me."

"If you want me to hold you, you can just ask," he said, nuzzling the back of Taako's neck. 

"Assume I _always_ want you to hold me." Taako lightly kicked Kravitz' feet and relaxed. "Or the other way round. But mostly the first one."

"Hm." Kravitz moved his hands along Taako's front, grazing the middle of his chest. "What a convenient arrangement. Because I always want to hold _you."_

"Isn't it?" Taako hooked his arms behind his and Kravitz' head, pulling them closer together.

They fell into a comfortable silence, allowing time to pass by around them without much thought. Absentmindedly, Kravitz moved his fingers up and down Taako's front, grazing up his sternum and up towards his neck. His fingers moved in a pattern similar to the song he just played. He might as well figure out how to translate that song to cello here--he could try playing it later, when Taako wasn't listening, to avoid embarrassment. He hummed lightly as he moved his fingers, light and gentle. Soon enough, Kravitz got caught. 

"What are you doing?" Taako asked through a smile.

"Playing one of my songs." Kravitz wigged a finger over Taako's sternum, simulating vibrato. "You said you liked them."

"I did, didn't I," he said more of a breath than a statement. "Hey, babe, can you play lower?"

Kravitz smiled and ran a finger along the bridge of Taako's nose. "Of course, love."

Taako laughed through grit teeth. "That's higher, m'dude."

"No, it's lower." He let his hands drift back to Taako's chest. "This is higher. Do you not know how notes work?"

"Then why don't you play something  _really_ high?"

"I would, but I think this cello's out of tune." Kravitz took one hand and lightly twisted Taako's ear. "Doesn't even know how _notes_ work."

He whined, letting his eyes fall closed. "Thought the tuning pegs were down on the _low end,"_   he said, grumbling.

Kravitz smiled into his neck. "Well, the minor ones." Twisted the other ear. "This is a _major_ tuning issue."

"Guess this'll do for now." Taako leaned his head back into Kravitz. Despite his disinterested tone, Kravitz could see a definite, solid blush settle over his ears and cheeks. "Fine, man, go wild."

Kravitz enjoyed these quiet moments with Taako. Or, it was quiet at first. The more he touched Taako, the more receptive he was--still, it was a fun, quiet time. He recreated the warbling noise the cello strings made while tuning. It sounded silly to mimic them, but he was doing it quiet enough. 

Taako whined again, covering his mouth. "Are you making--fuckin'--tuning noises?"

"I, uh." Kravitz felt his face burn. "I thought it would enhance the weird cello roleplay we had going on here?"

He expected the laughter.

Fuck, he _enjoyed_   the laughter. Anything to put that joy in Taako.

Taako turned around in his arms, facing him. "You--y--you're fucking--" Taako paused. That look in his eyes came back a third time--contemplative. Trying to sort through a thought. What did he want to say? "You're ridiculous," is what came out after a moment, but the look stayed on Taako's face.

"I am." He smiled sheepishly, nose brushing against cheek.  "So are you."

The look didn't go away. "I guess so," he said, and then kissed Kravitz stupid, just like before. He unbuttoned Kravitz' shirt, lips still locked together. 

"This okay?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Of course. As long as it's alright with you." He leaned in to kiss Taako quickly. "Love you," he said, for the ninety-seventh time, and then cursed himself for adding it.

Had to remind himself that this probably wasn't as serious as he thought it was. It was only for a few decades. Taako wasn't going to be with him forever. It would always be a little one-sided. 

Taako didn't love him back.

This was just for fun.

It didn't have to be so serious. 

_And that was **fine.**_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's FINE, everyone!  
> you are all lucky that i have to drive 8 hours tomorrow and can't post this in the morning. but. mark my words, i'll get back to morning posts next time!!! NOBODY MESS UP THEIR SLEEP. I'M FALSELY TRUSTING YOU.  
> next time...................................................................................................  
> ............................................................hmm. let's just say....words? Words.  
> thanks for reading, everyone!


	18. Using Words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako figures out a few choice words.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> no content warnings for this chapter, but this is another weirdly long chapter. it's 8k words, somehow????? i didn't plan for this??? don't read this at midnight, c'mon, i'm trusting ya'll.

On their second night in the cabin, they stayed inside. Too cold to go visit Barry and Lup for dinner. Not too cold for Taako--he barely felt it. It was Kravitz who didn't do well in the cold, especially since he maybe/probably died from hypothermia?

Barry warned Taako that his and Lup's cabin had a small frozen pond out in the back. He'd have to keep Kravitz as far away from it as possible. 

Taako also suspected that Lup was trying to get him alone with Kravitz on purpose, for _very obvious reasons._ Half of him wished he never told Lup about his feelings, for how insufferable she was over it. But the other half was so _relieved_ that Lup approved of the whole thing. He didn't want to be reunited with his sister only to get caught up in a petty spat about _boys_   immediately after. She would come up with elaborate schemes to leave them alone in a room together, and then leave with a wink. Either she didn't know what subtlety was, or she didn't care. Most likely the latter. So now, he was snowed in with Kravitz.

Which was alright, because honestly? Taako was worried.

And-- _fuck yes!_   He was confident enough in his own feelings to say he was worried. _That_ was new. Not unpleasant, either. Even if it wasn't a positive feeling, it was _clear_ and it didn't feel like sifting through sand like a gold panner in the Fantasy Gold Rush. 

But at the same time? _Fuck, no._ There was something wrong with Kravitz. He didn't know what was wrong or why. He could sense something was off (he remembered the dozens of times Kravitz would _just know_ when he was feeling down, and his chest felt full when he realized he could do the same) but there wasn't a clear explanation. He wasn't unhappy; no, Kravitz had been grinning and affectionate and downright possessive since they entered the cabin. But there was a nervous edge to him the whole time, impatient, like he was running out of time. Which, he wasn't--even if they had less than three months left, they would still be together after the vacation. He kissed Taako as if he was afraid he'd vanish two seconds later, and he'd rush through living rituals that Taako didn't have to perform; he'd swallow his food like a vacuum, he'd wake up and jump right out of bed, he'd take five minute showers that left Taako questioning if he even _washed_ everything.

Like he was doing right now.

Taako laid in bed, knowing Kravitz would be back from the shower any minute. It was kind of interesting to see how this weird impatience would manifest every time Kravitz came back after a minute alone. Would he be running a mile a minute with questions, stories, and compliments? Or would he sit there in silence, stewing over some thought, fingers running absentmindedly through Taako's hair? He could never tell. It was like playing a roulette.

Not to mention that Taako wasn't operating at peak capacity, either. Ever since he admitted to himself (and two goddesses, his sister, and Barry), that he was in love with Kravitz, the rush of that new feeling hadn't been turned off. Barry assured him that he'd settle into it and it would turn into something comfortable later, but for now Taako was stuck overexcited and easily flustered. And, once Taako got like that, Kravitz fed right into it. It was too easy for the two to spiral down into a crisis. Taako knew it'd drive him into another fight if he didn't try and resolve it, somehow, so he took the alone time to strategize.

How would he bring this up?

It wouldn't do any good if he said, "hey, Kravitz, you're suffocating me and I want to know why!" because that sounded accusatory. Something like, "I can't tell if something's wrong with you or with me," could confuse him. And, "hey, dude, I like being admired, but not at a mile a minute," would only cause Kravitz to adjust his habits and quiet down.

Why couldn't there be a more silent way to tell Kravitz he wanted to talk?

Oh, _fuck--_ except there _was!_   If Kravitz came in and Taako didn't have his glamour up, he'd _probably_ want to talk about that, right? And even if they had to start out talking about his face and not Kravitz' funky-ass behavior, it would help set the scene to talk more. Taako grinned, thinking himself a genius for coming up with it. Immediately after, he groaned, because it wasn't _ideal._ He kept the glamour on for a _reason._ It wasn't that his un-glamoured face was hideous, it was just...not a Taako Original™. Not a part of the brand. Didn't _feel_ like him.

Would it feel more like him if he let it out on a regular basis? Probably.

Was Taako going to do that? Hell no.

It might have been silly to keep the glamour on at all times. He still wasn't totally over it. How could he be? It was a terrible loss. And, no, he didn't have plans to ever go out in public without the glamour, because his face was his brand, but it was a hell of a waste of spell slots when he was just chilling in private. But Taako was nothing if not a spiteful asshole, and he wasn't about to let something those lich bitches did to him in Wonderland control his life forever.

It was just difficult to start, was the thing.

Except, here was a time limit: the faucet on the shower stopped. Kravitz' horribly short shower was over. Taako had to make a decision, and fast--did he want this conversation to happen _now?_ He felt his glamour about to run out. At least if they got this out of the way now, the rest of the week in the cabin would be more fun. Now was a good of time as any.

Taako closed his eyes and let the spell fall off his face in a stiff _poof._ There weren't any mirrors in the room, so he couldn't see the change for himself. He could see the faint outline of his nose change, only noticeable because it was different. He flopped himself on the bed, in an act to seem casual. His hair fanned out around his head like a halo, unbraided. Kravitz always put on the goofiest grin when his hair did that--and, fuck, if Taako was going to willingly make himself less attractive, he had to do what he could to be _at least_ a _little_ appealing.

What seemed like seconds later, Kravitz stepped out of the bathroom. Before the vacation, Kravitz' idea of "dressing down" was still head and shoulders above most people in terms of formality. But with clothing actually having weight and feeling on his body, he opted for simple clothes almost every day. It wasn't a bad look. There wasn't much Kravitz wore that _didn't_ look good--not with a face like that.

"Sorry that took so long," Kravitz said, putting his shirt on as he opened the door.

"You were in there for, like, _five_ minutes, m'man."

"Well, that was five minutes I wasn't _here."_ He smiled, the edges of his lips shaking a bit.

Taako sat up, chin in his hand, not sure how to answer that.

It took a few seconds for Kravitz to register that Taako's face was different.He hesitated for a nanosecond (the _longest_ nanosecond Taako's ever experienced) before climbing onto the bed next to Taako. "You took it down."

He blew a stray hair out of his face. "Have a problem with that?"

"Not even a little bit." Kravitz ran his thumb over Taako's cheek, and then pulled back an inch or two. "May I? I didn't get a good look when you showed me the first time."

"As long as you don't--y'know, take back what you said. After getting a good look."

Kravitz let out a breath, smiling and cupping Taako's cheek in his hand. "I would never. I love you no matter your looks." Ninety-seven. "I'm only curious."

Taako pressed his face into the hand, eyes still on Kravitz. "Then, yeah, go wild."

Both fell silent as Kravitz examined Taako's face, running his thumb over cheekbone and jaw and the arch of his eyebrow. He could feel the imperfections in his skin as Kravitz ran his hand over them, and the feeling made Taako want to blink right the _fuck_ out of the cabin. Taako might have started this as a way to get Kravitz to start talking, but that didn't mean he was automatically comfortable with the whole thing. But whenever he wondered if he was being judged, he would take another look at Kravitz and only see love in his eyes.

"It's fascinating," Kravitz said, a finger running down the ridge of Taako's nose, "How it's different, but it's still _you._   I'm not sure how that works."

"Yeah, they were up to some fucked up shit in Wonderland."

"You said it was run by liches?" He frowned, his hands dropping from Taako's face down to his shoulders. "I'm sorry, we should have--if one of our scouts had found them, I could have gone in there and--or, even, another bounty hunter, it wouldn't have to be m--"

"Not your fault." Taako moved up closer. He wrapped his arms around Kravitz waist for support, like an anchor. "You were busy drowning in Hunger goo. Not much you could have done."

Kravitz stayed quiet for a few moments, holding a tighter grip onto Taako. "How did you get out?"

"Barry," he said, pressing his forehead against Kravitz' shoulder. "I mean, I turned into a fucking dinosaur and Magnus got ejected out of his body, but, I'm pretty sure Barry came up with that plan. Honestly, it was all a blur. Barely remember it."

Kravitz held him tight, mumbling into his hair. "I'm glad you're safe."

"Yeah...you too." Taako took in a deep breath, and then pulled himself away from Kravitz, hands still on his sides. He tapped his fingers nervously before plastering on one of his performer's smiles. "So, uh..." He took his hands off Kravitz, framing his unglamored face with his hands. "Which one do you like better?"

"I...don't?" Kravitz tilted his head, concerned and confused. "Both of them are you _,_ Taako, I couldn't just pick one."

"Don't bullshit me. I know you're not going to leave, I don't...worry about that so much anymore." Taako leaned forward to plant a quick little kiss on his lips. "I'm curious, which one you like, y'know, aesthetically."

Kravitz let out a breath, smiling a bit and chasing his lips against Taako's. "You know there's not that much of a difference?"

"Doesn't matter, I want to know."

He took a few moments to think about it, cupping Taako's face in his hands. "I couldn't rank them by looks, I enjoy both." Kravitz laid a kiss right above his brow. "If I met you with this face, I would have been just as lovestruck as I was falling in love with your glamour face."

Taako waved his hand, annoyed he didn't get a real answer. "Yeah, got it, 'natch. Even when I'm plain I'm prettier than everyone else." He poked the high ridge of Kravitz' cheekbone. "Not including you, I mean, who could beat _this?"_

 _"You_   could." He grinned.

"With _this_ mug?"

"Absolutely," Kravitz said, with no hint of irony or sarcasm at all.

It was a little embarrassing that Taako was so completely thrown by a simple compliment. "That's--that's no fair at all, you're fucking _biased."_  

"I suppose I am." Kravitz swiped both his thumbs over Taako's cheeks, pressing their foreheads together. "After all, I--well, to answer your earlier question, I _do_ like this one more."

Taako laughed, although it wasn't happy at all; a nervous, joyless trill of giggling that forced his ears as far down as they could go. "Did you go blind, or are you just trying to flatter my ego?"

"No. The physical features are close enough that I'm not basing my favorite on them." Kravitz smiled, a glimmer in his eye as he met Taako's. "But--Taako, it's-- _nice_ , really, to know that you feel comfortable enough around me to drop the glamour." There was something else behind that statement, but Kravitz didn't elaborate. _Nice_ was what people said when they didn't want to say something more, Taako learned that a long time ago. It would have been the perfect segue into a conversation about Kravitz' odd behavior, but...

At the same time, Taako found himself immobilized by his own thoughts.

It felt like a gust of wind came and knocked his heart out of his chest. Temperature didn't have a huge impact on his dead construct, but he still felt shivers up his arms and behind his neck and a burning heat in his face and chest. He wanted to shake out this nervous energy, but felt that all his limbs were heavy as stone. Kravitz was...glad that Taako was comfortable around him. That was normal, good, whatever--but it meant that Taako _was_ comfortable around him. Which, sure, heshould be. That was obvious. But it frightened him, for a moment, to what extent he felt comfortable. Here he was, with his glamour dropped, right in front of Kravitz. He didn't even like dropping it in front of the _mirror--_ but it felt fine around his boyfriend. After all, Taako wasn't the one looking at the face. Kravitz was. And he looked at it with the same goopy loving look in his eyes that he always had. It was...easy, really. Easy to be plain in front of him.

It was getting easier to confide in Kravitz, too.

Not that it was difficult before. No, ever since their first wine and pottery date, Taako spilled out his own thoughts on accident. There were still times his brain blocked him from saying anything deeper, but his moments of honesty came in waves. He'd confess something that he thought he'd never say out loud, and then be met by praise and adoration from Kravitz instead of the shunning and annoyance he expected. So, as time went on, and as the two started to talk out their problems like adults, the blocks became smaller and less frequent. Which left Taako here, sitting with his less-than-perfect face, wanting to spill out _everything._

That was too terrifying, though, so Taako took a moment to distance himself from that feeling. He pushed back on the impulse to curl up in Kravitz' arms. He ignored the itch to babble on about all the thoughts that swam through his head. He pushed back against the force that told him to tear away all the barriers he put up to protect himself. He had a mission, and that was to figure out what the _fuck_ was going on with Kravitz. There was no way he was getting distracted by a few pretty words Kravitz said to him.

Kravitz waited for a response, concern written all over his face. Taako raised his chin and pretended he hadn't been freaking out over emotional intimacy for the past forty seconds. "Fine, then I won't bother putting glamour back on when it's just you an' me."

"Really?" Damn it, Kravitz didn't have the right to look so _happy_ after learning he'd have to look at Taako's plain face for extended periods of time.

"I, uh. I'll keep the glamour on if you want me to, but." Taako reached down to squeeze Kravitz' hand. He tried to come off as casual, but that facade was slipping fast. The urge to spill out all his feelings to Kravitz bubbled back up, and it took a lot of energy to push it back down. "It wastes a lot of slots, y'know. I. Uh. Thought I could take a break from it, but, again, if that's not up your alley--"

"Taako, I just told you I prefer this face. And even if I didn't, it's your decision." He traced Taako's jaw with his palm. "You'll always be beautiful in my eyes, glamour or no."

"You, uh--you sure know how to compliment an ugly guy, don't you?" It meant to come out as a joke, but Taako was shocked to hear how desperate his voice sounded.

Kravitz lost his smile and replaced it with concern. "It's very inaccurate to call yourself ugly."

Any performance of cool and casual dropped, right there.

Without much thought, Taako nestled himself into Kravitz' lap, pulled his arms around him and buried his face into his chest. Not crying. Embarrassed, because he lost all his cool over the fact that Kravitz liked his unglamored face. It wasn't even a good compliment, just some bare bones comfort. That was a pretty standard thing for a loving partner to do. But Taako had also just begun to acknowledge his love recently. It was still new to him. And he wasn't comfortable with the loss from Wonderland yet--hearing comforts from Kravitz helped. Kravitz' opinion actually mattered to him. He could feel his heart pounding a mile a minute, and also heard Kravitz' against his ear.

Thrown off, worried, and surprised, Kravitz untangled his arms from Taako. "What's--"

"Don't--" Taako gripped the front of Kravitz' shirt. He hated how small and gross his voice sounded. "Please don't let go."

This didn't do much to curb Kravitz' worries, but at least he followed directions and held him again. "T-Taako, are you--are you alright?"

"Yeah, 'm fine."

"This doesn't look fine."

"I _will_   be, in a second." Taako closed his eyes, burying himself farther in his boyfriend's torso. "Just--uh--Taako had a--had an emotion, lemme _live_ through it, yeah?"

Kravitz made a sound of approval and held on tighter. He laid his head over Taako's, hummed softly into his hair. Taako recognized it as one of the songs he wrote. _Fuck,_ he was in love. A vague thought in the back of his head told him to say it, right there. The smart part of his brain told him to hold off, because it would seem desperate and untrue if he said it now. Not that his mouth would let him say it anyway, but. Wishful thinking.

Still, he felt it. So much. He didn't give Kravitz an explanation for his sudden magnetic cling, but he took it anyway. Did his best to make it better. Even if there wasn't anything to _make_ better--on the whole, Taako was feeling good. He wanted to be held and ramble on about his problems and be vulnerable, which was something reserved for him and Lup (and others from the crew, only on the worst cycles). Honestly, it was exciting to have the urge to do the same with Kravitz. It meant Taako was here for the long-term. Setting up for something permanent.

And, for once, that was a comforting thought rather than a terrifying one.

Eventually, he dug himself out of Kravitz' chest. He sat up straight, still in Kravitz' grip, but at eye level now. Kravitz adjusted his hold on Taako. "Is everything alright?" He still looked so concerned, and, Taako couldn't fault him for that. From his perspective, Taako must have looked scared or hurt.

"Uh, _yeah,_ actually, Taako's feeling _super."_ He grinned, but held back on kissing Kravitz. He looked too worried for that. "That's--that's not even a joke, it's, uh--I'm _good?"_

"I'm finding that hard to believe."

"Okay, sure, I _get_ that. I kind of--kind of spaced out there, for a second, but--" Taako laid his head on Kravitz' shoulder, holding on tight. "Honest, it was in a good way."

"Are you going to tell me what it was all about?"

"Oh, yeah, I was planning on it." He raised his head back up. Taako constantly moved in Kravitz' arms, restless. "You just--it's--listen, I uh. Might have gotten a little overwhelmed by. All that."

"All...that?" Kravitz frowned.

"Look, I'm still not--I'm not _over_ this whole face bullshit yet. So, uh. You. Saying nice things about it is..." Taako pinched at his own cheek. "I guess it helps? Except, it also--it also sort of, y'know, hits me square in the jaw with feelings."

Kravitz' shoulders dropped. "I'm--sorry, should I not compliment your face?"

"No, it's--good. It's good, I swear, it was. Good. It was--just, a lot. Really." He knew it didn't do any good to dance around what _feelings_ he was talking about. But, again, Kravitz might not believe him if he confessed his love right now. "Usually if I get hit with that feeling, I just. Put it away? Like, no use in embarrassing myself in front of a hot guy. But, I mean, you're fine with seeing _this--"_ Taako gestured around his face, "--so I assume you're cool with. Whatever just happened."

"And...what _did_ just happen, exactly?" Kravitz looked less concerned after Taako hammered in the idea that he wasn't in pain, but there was still a lot of confusion there.

"It's--not in the brand, not that Taako style, so. Nobody can know about this. I'm still telling you, but, if it _ever_ leaves this room, you're dead. Hear me?"

Finally, Kravitz broke into a smile. "You will have to come up with a better threat than murder for me."

"You're an ass," he said, but found himself smiling too. "You wouldn't have heard it in the broadcast, because I threatened to magic missile Lucretia off the ship when she tried to write it down, but. I used to. Do that. On the ship."

"You used to get embarrassed and hide yourself in other people's bodies?"

"Sort of? It--wasn't just embarrassment, it was--mostly, if Lup died, or something--something almost as bad." He leaned on Kravitz, hands drifting down his back. "I just--don't like being alone when--when shit happens."

He tilted his head, confused all over again. "But you said this was good?"

"Yeah, it doesn't always have to be bad. I can--I have more than one emotion, jackass."

This wrung a little chuckle out of Kravitz. "Alright, then...what caused it, exactly?"

"It was 'cause, you were, uh." He dug his face into Kravitz' shirt, hoping it'd muffle his words. "Saying nice things, and, it _got_ to me."

Kravitz must have heard him clearly enough. "All I said was that you weren't ugly."

"Yeah." Taako blew out some air, even if his lungs didn't need to. "I'm not--I'm still not over the loss, I guess? I haven't, uh. Talked about it."  

"Do you want to?" 

"Talk about it?" He sat up straighter and felt another smile settle on his face. For once, _for once,_ he was excited to get this all out in the open. Not even a little nervous. "Actually, uh--yeah. Yeah, I do."

"Oh, I--" Something invisible seemed to hit Kravitz square in the heart. He bowed his head a bit, in a weird reverence to the situation. "Taako, thank you for trusting me with this," he said, and there Kravitz went again--stumbling over the smallest bits of affection like he wasn't expecting them. Like he wasn't expecting Taako to trust him with his feelings. That shouldn't have been happening, Taako had been serving up little fond gestures ever since he had the idea of love in his head. Kravitz should be used to it by now. But he took it like a starving person with bread--overeager, too thankful, like he expected it would run out soon. Taako didn't plan on stopping or taking it away, he was _all in_ on this now. And, sure, Taako stumbled over some of the things Kravitz did and said to him, but Kravitz was more well-adjusted and had at least half a year to wrestle with all his feelings. Something as simple as Taako wanting to talk about something that bothered him shouldn't give him that kind of reaction.

Taako worried that he wasn't showing his love clearly enough.

But he put that aside for the moment, because he needed to get a few things off his chest.

"I don't like it. The face." Taako ran a hand down his own cheek, brow furrowed. "I could--see myself _tolerating_ it, maybe, if I stopped wearing the glamour at home. But there's--there's no way I'll ever _like_ it."

"But it's--Taako, you're still beautiful."

"Thanks, babe, but. Uh. I don't--I don't buy that." Taako looked back up to see Kravitz' face heartbroken, and quickly amended his statement. "At least--not now? I guess it's still pretty fresh, maybe it'll, uh. Mellow out later. Kind of impossible to tell right now."

"Understandable." He stopped, and Taako could see him thinking through his next question. Delicately, quietly, he asked, "Does Lup know about this?"

"She _knows,_ sure, she was _there._ I don't think she saw it, 'cause, she could only hear me most of the time. I--fuck, I haven't gotten the courage to show Lup, like, that was _our_ face." Taako touched a spot right under his eye, and frowned when he noticed how uneven the skin was. "If I knew she existed at the time, I don't know--I don't know if I would have given it up."

"I could hardly blame you." Kravitz reached to take Taako's hand in his, kissing it. "Nobody could."

Taako pulled his hand back along with Kravitz' and licked it. He laughed at Kravitz' horrified face, and then quieted down, leaned his head into the hand. "It was a lot easier to give it up without her, 'cause, like, if I didn't give it up that would make me kind of an asshole, right? Pretty fucking vain, right? Guess that ship sailed a long time ago."

Kravitz moved a strand of hair out of Taako's face. "It's not vain, that's a part of you."

He couldn't stop himself from smiling over the comment. "I know this is--bullshit, for the most part, but it's kind of stupid I gave away something so important without knowing."

"That's not stupid, Taako," he said, and it was so sincere that Taako actually believed him. He felt that _feeling_ bubbling up again, and he buried his face in Kravitz' chest like before. Kravitz didn't flinch this time, expecting it.

This time, Taako didn't stay silent through it. "Sorry for--y'know, spilling that out on you, didn't meant to turn this into Taako's Amateur Therapy Hour."

"You can talk to me about anything, Taako, always." 

"Thanks, then." Taako took in a breath he didn't need and curled up farther in Kravitz' lap. "Uh, and this--"

"Of course, you can do this whenever you need, there's no use in bottling that up." Kravitz let his fingers comb through Taako's hair. He wasn't looking at Kravitz' face, but he heard a smile in his voice. "You know, you're a much more open person than you think."

Taako laughed. "I dunno about that, have you seen me with other people?"

"You've opened up to me a lot even though I'm just a fling."

"Yeah, that's--" Taako's eyes shot open and he ejected himself from Kravitz' arms. "Wait, you're a _WHAT?"_

"Is--is that not what this is?" It should have been _illegal_ for Kravitz to sound so _disappointed_ while asking if Taako only thought of him as a fling.

"No? No, no, _what the **fuck,**_ I'm not--you're--" Taako pulled at the ends of his hair, completely thrown by the idea that his time with Kravitz was only _temporary._   "Wh--why do you think _that?"_

Kravitz shrunk in on himself, shoulders reaching up to his ears. "Maybe we shouldn't get into this. It's nothing."

"That's bullshit." Taako stood up out of the bed, pacing the room. "We--okay, so, _obviously_ the last time we _didn't_ talk about a problem, it blew up in--in both of our faces. What gives?"

He didn't answer, instead opted to stare off in the distance.

Kravitz didn't seem like the type of guy to be  _okay_ with a casual relationship. Or to actively want one. It wasn't normal for people to confess their love for somebody on a daily basis if it was just casual, but Kravitz had been out of the dating game for years. Maybe he didn't know. Taako needed to get to the bottom of this, fast. If he was being honest with himself, he didn't want to let go of Kravitz any time soon. But, if Kravitz didn't think this was serious...

"Hey," Taako said, stopping next to Kravitz and shaking his shoulder, "Do you--do you think of us as--that? As--uh, a fling?" 

"Well, I--" Kravitz shrugged Taako's hand off, and offered a placating smile. "I've already told you I'll stay with you as long as you'll have me."

"Yeah, we've--talked about that." Taako's eyes widened. "Does that mean you think--you think that _I--"_

Kravitz coughed. "I, um. I _know_ we're in a lopsided relationship, Taako. But, at the same time, I want you to know that's--it's _fine,_ I don't mind." He moved off the bed and walked towards the door. But, he didn't explicitly tell Taako not to follow him, so...

Taako followed right behind him. "What are you talking about?"

"Well. I'm...pretty sure I'm more smitten with you than you are with me? And, Taako, again--I don't mind. I understand what this is." Kravitz walked into the living room, speeding up so Taako wasn't right on his ass. "I don't mind having a few fun years or decades with you until--well, you--um, get tired of me? I have pretty thick skin, I can--I can take that news when it comes along."

"You--you think I'm going to _get bored_ and _leave?"_

"Um--yes? But, I don't--I don't mean that in a bad way, you're--I know you're. Adventurous?" Kravitz turned to face him now. "It won't hurt my feelings when you decide to leave."

It took a lot of mental energy for Taako not to scream out  _no, I'm not going to do that,_ but he managed to tie that thought down pretty quick. Was  _this_ what was bothering Kravitz? The fact that he saw this as something that would end soon? 

"Is this what's been eating at you?" Taako asked as he took a step closer.

"I--it's--it hasn't been eating at me!" The way Kravitz' face reddened said otherwise.

"Un-fucking-true, you've been--" Taako pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ever since we've gotten in here, you're--it's like you're _waiting_ for something bad to happen."

"I--" He let out a huffy breath. "I have _not."_

"Don't--don't get angry, I'm not--this isn't--I just want you to know that I'm--" Taako covered his face, let out a drawn-out whine. "Fuck, Krav, I--I _know_ what to say to fix this, honest, but it doesn't--it won't come out and--"

"Then you don't have to say anything," he said, tight and formal.

"No, I do--it's--fuck, if I just--we're not getting anywhere if I don't--if I fucking _quit_ every time I have trouble--talking."

"I just hate to see you uncomfortable." There was a tinge of concern to this one, but he still spoke stiffly.

Taako felt like pulling his own ears out of his skull. "Then--that _doesn't work,_ you can't _say that--_ that--that means that _you're_ going to stay fucking _miserable_ because I can't get my--my own head out of my ass."

"I'm not _miserable."_

"You're missing the point."

"I don't want to have another fight wit--"

"And I don't want to fight, either, this--" Taako gestured around the space in between them. "This isn't a _fight,_ I'm--I--I think you've, kind of, misinterpreted what I--what I'm after? All I'm trying to do is, uh, let you know where I'm standing."

"Alright." Kravitz took a deep breath to center himself. "But, Taako, please don't be embarrassed or ashamed to say this is a temporary thing."

"If that's how I felt, I would have told you by now." Taako took a lap around the room, and Kravitz didn't seem to object. This was it. Taako knew this was the part where he had to say what his mind blocked out for the past week and a half. Even though he was nervous, his chest felt light and he felt _great._ He circled back to Kravitz, who was waiting patiently for Taako to start. This was the right time. Taako knew he could say it, now. Only problem was, he didn't know how to slip in an _I love you._ Taako figured he could wing it.

So he just started _talking._

"I guess--I should start by saying--" _I love you,_ "--saying, uh, I feel like. Like we--we work well together? Goddamn, you. You, uh. I've mentioned, your, uh, your face, but. I mean, for me, it goes--a lot further past that, goes all the way to--" _to love,_ "--to, uh, the--fuckin'--the sound of your voice, and the, the--you're quite, uh, the conversationalist. Unlike me, right now. This is a mess, isn't it?"

Bad news: the words weren't slipping out the way Taako wanted them to. They just stayed _in_ his head, never to be said out loud. Good news: Kravitz relaxed a few degrees after hearing the nervous tilt to Taako's voice, and offered a small smile and one of his hands. "You're getting through it, Taako, take your time."

Taako took his hand, smiling as he felt a calloused thumb run over his knuckles. _Love this nerd._ "Yeah, there it is. I'm a fucking dumpster fire sometimes, but, sometimes--all it takes, is, is, a couple'a words out of you and Taako's. Taako's good to go. Taako is--" _in love with you,_ "Taako's, uh, _yours,_ too, um. You know what that means? It means that--" _I love you,_ "It means, uh, I'm. All in on this. It's not a fling for me, got it? And I--" _love you,_ "--know that, that, _I_ should be doing more to, keep you from feeling like this is only temporary, because--" _I love you,_ "This isn't. Temporary. It's. A long term thing for me." He looked up, locking his eyes with Kravitz'. _I love you_ was branded in his eyes, but Kravitz didn't pick up on it at all.

He might not have picked up on it, but the speech left Kravitz melting. "Are you sure?" he asked, barely squeaking it out.

"You have no idea." Taako flashed a goofy, over-the-top grin. "I'm more sure of this than I am of my distaste of elevators."

Kravitz spat out a laugh, the skin around his eyes wrinkling in bliss. "That's--an extremely solid claim, then."

Taako gave up on trying to push out a confession. It wasn't happening today. Kravitz kept smiling, squeezing the hand Taako let him hold. He almost dropped it, but Taako gripped it tight. Even if he knew he couldn't say his big three words, he still had a lot to tell Kravitz.

"And, it's like, I _get_ why you'd think this was short-term. I took you on a wine and pottery date to _mess_ with you, and then--I thought it would be funny to do it for another week or so. Like, _ha ha, I'm dating Death, that's fucking hilarious!"_   He didn't give Kravitz time to correct him, even though Taako could see the thought of _bounty hunter, not Death_ form on his lips. "I didn't _mean_ to get so goddamn invested, but, that's how it happens sometimes. I thought, _okay, sure, let him go after a month,_ but then a month would pass and I'd keep--extending that time farther. _Another week, another month, a goddamn year--_ "

Taako's thoughts caught up with his words and he whined, but couldn't stop the words from flowing out. "It keeps getting longer, and--look, I didn't have a lot of reason to think about the future when we were running away from a vore fart cloud, but I think about it _now._ A lot. And. It's really--really difficult to imagine you _not_ being in it. I keep thinking of--ridiculous stretches of time in the future, and--you're always there." He stepped forward, closing the small amount of distance between him and Kravitz. "I'm not at _forever_ yet, because, I know that forever is a real length of time that you can experience, but. Fuck, Kravitz, it's getting closer."

Kravitz' breath caught in his throat. "Wher--where are you right now?"

"Lup's already called dibs on escorting me over to the Astral plane when I die, as sort of a, womb to the tomb thing, but--" Their faces were inches apart, Taako's voice low and quiet. "I'm at the point where I'd want you to...y'know, be _there_ when I go. Someone's gotta make sure I have a bomb-ass deathbed, right?"

He froze. "How long do elves live, again?"

"I could top out at seven hundred." Taako looked off in the distance for a second, pulling at his memory for his exact age. "Not counting the hundred non-aging years, I'm at two-forty-two right now."

"That's...a lot of time."

"I know." Taako leaned up so their noses were touching, and smiled wide. "More than a couple decades."

He grabbed hold of Taako's waist. Kravitz' eyes shined, and disbelief still tinted his voice. "You would really have me for that long?"

"Buddy, if you can tolerate _this_   mess for five-hundred years--" he gestured to himself, "Then, yeah, you can reap whatever benefits come along with it."

His response was quick and immediate. "You're not a mess, Taako."

Taako didn't lose his grin. He took Kravitz' jaw in his palm, running fingers up close to his ear. "Darling, there's a difference between being nice to me and lying to me."

"I'm not lying." Kravitz leaned into the touch, pulled Taako closer. "You're still healing, nobody can fault you if it takes you a while. You have all the time in the world."

"You're--okay, _fuck,_ it should be illegal for you to be so--so--" He looked back up at Kravitz, who looked at Taako like he was on a cloud. Just the promise that Taako wasn't going to leave him was enough to stamp a permanent smile on him. Taako loved the way that looked. "Come here," he said, and crashed their lips together.

Kravitz had to keep himself from being knocked to the floor, stepping backwards and bringing Taako with him. The overeager and impatient attitude Kravitz had before didn't disappear yet, but it kept getting smaller and smaller until Taako hardly noticed it at all. He sank into Kravitz' arms, relieved. Despite his inability to say what he thought, Taako wasn't a total loss at this. It could work. 

And if Kravitz kept using his tongue like _that,_ it would be a hell of a bonus.

They ended up back towards the bedroom, Taako pinned to the wall next to the bedroom door. 

"So--" Kravitz took in a few breaths, needing to get some oxygen up in those lungs. "We have a lot longer than I thought we did."

"Mhmm." Taako opened one eye, craning his neck towards Kravitz. "How's that feel?"

 _"Amazing,"_   he said, laying kisses down his neck. He mumbled against the skin as he did so. "I, um--Taako, I love you, and, I'm looking forward to...being able to do so for--much, much longer than I anticipated."

Ninety-eight.

And then, a thought passed through Taako's brain.

He looked up at Kravitz, face screwed up in a not-so-pretty but fully satisfied grin. Delighted to get even the slightest bit of reassurance that Taako cared about him. He spent most of his time showing Taako how much he loved him, and didn't get much back in return. Kind of unfair. 

"Say it again," he said, pulling Kravitz' head back up to eye level.

"Uh--" 

"If--if you still feel it, I mean."

"I didn't stop feeling it within the past thirty seconds." He smiled. "I love you."

Ninety-nine.

Taako looked him dead in the eyes as he said, "I do too."

It took a moment for the realization to hit Kravitz, but when it did? Oh, that was a sight to see. He looked like Taako had just handed him _the world,_ with his eyes bright and mouth agape. He blinked once, twice, too many times to count. His hands didn't know where to go--to Taako's shoulders, his back, his head--they ended up settled on his waist. The guy looked like he was on the verge of tears. Happy tears--Taako could tell by the way his smile cut out all the way to his ears. Kravitz hesitated, and then opened his mouth to speak, but Taako interrupted him.

"And--fuck, I know that's the coward's way of saying it. But. Like, _damn,_ I've been trying to say it for a week and a half now, and, it won't come out?" Taako held on tight to Kravitz and rambled off with no clear focus. "I have no fucking clue what's _wrong_ with me, but, I'm not letting that stop me from...y'know, taking care of _you."_

"T-Taako--"

"I just wanted you to know that I feel it, even if I can't say it yet." He ran fingers through Kravitz' braids, getting up as close as he physically could. "Think of it like a down payment, but for affection. Cash that in later, if you want, that's--it's like an IOU, or something, it's--Taako don't make promises but that's exactly what this is--"

"Taako--"

"I don't want you to go through, like, fucking _years_ without--without knowing that, okay? I've been--trying to telegraph that, y'know, without words, but _obviously_ it hasn't been enough." Taako leaned up to kiss him, quick but electrifying. "I don't know how long it'll take me. I wish I could do it right now, because the look on your face would be--so good. I--want to make you happy, I want t--"

 _"Taako."_  

Kravitz, apparently, didn't plan anything to say once Taako _actually_ shut up and listened to him. Before Taako could say anything more, though, Kravitz lifted him, hoisted him up on his waist. Taako's face hovered just above his now, and all Kravitz had to do was tilt his head up to kiss him.

Which, he did. A few times. It wasn't the best kiss in the world, because Kravitz and Taako smiled too wide in it and ended up with their teeth knocked together. There was a lot of giggling and hurried apologies, which would be replaced with more bad teeth-clacking kisses. Taako pulled back, watching Kravitz laugh his ass off over the whole thing. 

Cute.

Eventually, Kravitz found his words again. "I--I want you to know that you can take your time. Say it when it's natural." He braced Taako with his arm bracketing the small of his back. "I swear, I don't want to do anything to make you uncomfortable."

"You sure about that, 'cause, this whole Fantasy Spiderman move you're pulling on me is a little--" Taako adjusted his legs to balance himself. Kravitz fixed his hold. "Actually? I take it back, gettin' held by some big strong agent of Death is kind of hot."

Kravitz laughed, the motion jostling Taako like he was a late-game Fantasy Jenga structure. "I'll remember that." He looked up at Taako, breathless and delighted. 

"Oh, _fuck,_ you're cute when you're all--when you're--" 

"Loved?" 

"That. Yes. That thing I feel for you. It looks good on you." Taako swat at Kravitz' back lightly, in an attempt to steer him. "Get--get me to a fucking bed, handsome, there's--there's eighty things I want to do to you right now, and fifty of them require you to be horizontal."

He stayed solid, not moving on Taako's whim. "Anything you can do right here?" he asked, a snarky look on his face.

Taako took him in a searing kiss, hands twisting in his hair. "That's two of 'em."

 _"Fuck,"_  he said, more of a breath than actual words. "Taako, I love you--"

"--I do too--"

"--I _love_ you--"

_"--I do too--"_

They went back and forth like that for a minute, exchanging the words in between breaths and kisses. Taako didn't use the full words, but it felt  _good_ to have a (mostly) equal exchange. Kravitz melted under the abridged words every time, and couldn't stop himself from blurting out another  _I love you_ after hearing Taako's version, like some kind of modified echo chamber.

"You realize I'm going to tease the fuck out of you when my dumbass brain lets me say it, right?" Taako asked, once Kravitz finally opened the door to the bedroom.

"Trick question." He lifted Taako off his hips, kissed him, and let him fall on the bed. "You don't have a dumbass brain." 

 _"Fuck,_ how do you always know the perfect things to say?" Taako grabbed at Kravitz, pulling him down on the bed with him. "Gimmie those good words again."

"I love you," he said, crawling down on the bed with Taako.

"So do I. Hmm, see, the problem with this is that I have to wait until you say it first."

"Is that such a bad thing?"

"Just more incentive for me to start saying it on my own." Taako grabbed Kravitz by the collar of his shirt and pulled him close. "Go on, lemme hear them."

"I love you."

"Same here." Taako made a quick gesture with his hands, like a spinning wheel in the air. "Keep going, I have to figure out which response I like using the best."

Kravitz smiled, pressing kisses down Taako's jaw and neck, breathing the words into his skin. "I love you."

"Me too."

"I _love_ you."

"Ditto."

"Love you," Kravitz said, again. Amazing that it sounded completely genuine every time.

"As do I." Taako kissed him before he could mutter out another one. "Any of these doing it for you?"

"A--all. All of them." Kravitz pulled him into his lap. Looked like he was about to explode from all the affection. "Taako, I love you."

"Greedy, you want me to say it more?" He grinned, and then the corners of his mouth softened. "I feel the same way." 

"You don't have to answer back every time."

"I want to." His fingers went to trail down Kravitz' back. Taako turned his head to kiss from his ear down to his jaw. "I want to make you feel as loved as you make me feel."

 _"Fuck,_ Taako, that's--" Kravitz swallowed, and then nodded furiously. "You do. You do, every day."

"I mean, obviously I dropped the ball there, 'cause you thought I was going to leave you after a couple years." Taako dropped his smile, his brow turned up in a worried line. "I can make up for it."

Kravitz still smiled, nudging his nose into Taako's cheek. "You're doing a hell of a job right now."

"That's the plan." His energy came back after taking one look at Kravitz' smile. That shit was infectious. "Can't wait to see--to see what that handsome face does when I tell you the real deal."

"I do hope you take your time. Just knowing that you feel it--it's taken such a weight off my shoulders."

"You're glowing," he said, leaning backwards to take in the scene fully. "I love seeing you happy."

"You'll be seeing a lot more of it." He pulled Taako back in. "I love you."

"I do too."

"I think that one is best," Kravitz said, before hoisting Taako in his arms again and taking him in a slow, unhurried kiss.

He knew he had time, now, to take it slow. 

* * *

"You know, not many people can claim that their boyfriend affirmed his love too much and couldn't get it up," Kravitz said, shooting an unimpressed look towards Taako.

He grinned, not an ounce of guilt in him. "Not my fault. You got--fuckin'--stars in your eyes whenever I said it. That's not a 'bang me' look."

Kravitz rolled his eyes and situated himself under the blankets. "You're an ass."

"Your ass," Taako corrected. Kravitz sneered at him. "I'm serious! You signed up for this!"

"I suppose I did." He pulled Taako under the covers with him. "I love you."

"I do too." He tucked himself right underneath Kravitz' chin. "Fuck, I lost count of how many times you've said it."

"One hundred and nineteen," Kravitz said, without even thinking about it. "Got a little carried away tonight."

Taako raised up on his elbows, looking Kravitz in the eye. "You're counting too?"

"Ever since you told me you were, I--" His face turned two shades redder. "I mean, if it was that important to you, I assumed you would want an accurate count. It's easier to keep track of between two people."

"Oh, good. 'Cause, once I say it, I'm gonna have to say it that many times to make up for lost time."

Kravitz balked. "You're going to say it a hundred and something times in a row?"

"No, more like, I'll say it more often than you until I catch up."

"That's going to be difficult." Kravitz laid his head down,  "When you say it, I have a feeling that I won't be able to stop myself from saying it back."

That feeling bubbled up through Taako again, begging to come out. "Hey," he said, tapping Kravitz, "Hey," he tapped again, "Hey, say it. Please?"

He laughed. "I love you."

One-hundred-and-twenty.

"I do too."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey hi hello, um...............i've been waiting for this chapter for a while!!!!!  
> I almost cut this chapter in half, but it would have left everyone on the cliffhanger of "kravitz thought this was a fling" and. jeez. i'm not THAT evil.  
> I've said this before on my angus fic, but I'm starting a new job soon!!! and updates will be slowed as I adjust to the new learning curve. how slow? I'm not sure yet. i'll get back to business soon, though! hopefully this extra-long chapter tides ya'll over.  
> next time. um. i'm sorry in advance. upsy is in the next chapter, somehow??????


	19. Family Trip (Part 1)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang takes a trip to...............um. A place.

Candlenights came and went.

The house was nice when it was full. Every single room had at least three people inside. The twins and both their boyfriends stayed crowded in the same room the entire holiday. Lup liked this until she realized that she'd have to watch her brother make eyes at his boyfriend the whole time. Maybe Taako was doing this on purpose, for all the PDA she and Barry subjected him to when they first made it official.

At least Kravitz had the decency to _look_ ashamed when he was caught staring.

It was easy to ignore anyway; Lup had a lot of catching up to do with the family. She was still getting to know Killian and Carey, but they were so rowdy that Lup felt like they were all on the same wavelength. Davenport was doing really well ever since he had the freedom of exploration. Magnus and Merle hovered closer to Taako than they ever did before, all of them still shaken by the past year. Lucretia kept to herself, still guilty and still getting death stares from Taako. Merle's kids were fun as long as someone chucked a couple of root beer barrels towards Mookie. While nobody was officially Angus' guardian, he was functionally adopted by everyone equally (Lup noticed Taako's soft spot for the kid, but chose not to comment on it in fear of being blasted out of the house).

Kravitz did better with the crowd than he did on the first night of Lup's new body. He didn't stay at the walls as much, and even when he did, he didn't run away from people trying to start up a conversation with him. Taako seemed to notice when he got too nervous, and injected himself into whatever conversation Kravitz was in. Just the presence of Taako was enough to get Kravitz back on track, and, Lup had to admit that was sweet.

Lup wished it lasted longer, but everyone in the family had some kind of entrepreneurial endeavor to get to. Magnus was just setting up his carving studio/dog school, Merle got some sugar daddy money from Lord Artemis Sterling to make a bar, and Lucretia was still working on shifting the Bureau to work on non-relic projects. At least Taako had the basic decency to wait until Lup died to work on his weirdo school project with Ren--it took a long time for the building to finish construction, anyway. Still, it was torture to have their shared Neverwinter house filled to the brim only to be sitting in it empty three days later.

Mostly empty. Angus stayed over for winter break, and Davenport was in between expeditions. Still, six people in the big Neverwinter house felt lonely.

So, naturally, it was time for Lup to shake things up again.

Angus told her about a secret project Lucas Miller just finished outside Neverwinter. She asked him what it was, specifically, but the kid just winked and he couldn't say details--he signed a nondisclosure agreement--but he _could_ get them a sneak peek inside.

And, yeah, that was just the right amount of chaos that Lup needed.

She packed all the boys in a rented wagon and headed towards a plot of land just outside Neverwinter. Angus sat in the front and gave directions. Davenport came along "for the hell of it," but Lup saw the way the captain watched Kravitz--although, it was nice that the rest of the family cared about Taako's safety just as much as Lup did. She thought it might be a good idea to tell Davenport not to scare the guy off, but. It would also be hilarious to watch Kravitz fold under the Captain's word. He was pretty intimidating for such a small guy.

They parked the wagon in a lot topped with gravel. Lup got out first, checking the surroundings. Nothing. No buildings, no roads, no structures. Angus had led them right in the middle of a forest. If the kid wanted to go camping, he should have said something. He didn't look like the camping type, but looks could be deceiving--Taako didn't look like a person who would like surfing.

Taako jumped out of the wagon. He grabbed his sister by the arm and grit his teeth, deep in distress. "Lup, we need to talk about your life choices."

"Whatever do you mean?" she asked, as innocently as she could manage.

Barry jumped out after Taako, and the bare presence of him was enough to show what Taako was making such a big fuss over. He wore jorts that hugged his ass like an overbearing mother, orthopedic hiking sandals, and eighteen layers of sunscreen. His sunglasses were tinted a deep blue, a little _too_ reminiscent of denim.

"You _know,"_   Taako said.

"I _don't."_   Lup covered her mouth to hide her laughter. "Lookin' good, Barry!"

"Angus _did_ say to dress for long-distance walking." Barry smiled, fully conscious of how he looked. Knowing him, he probably dressed that way _just_ to get under Taako's skin. What an ass.

Lup loved him.

Kravitz helped Davenport and Angus off the wagon, laughing at Taako's discomfort. "At least you weren't the one sitting next to him the whole ride down, Taako."

Lup stuck out her tongue. "You've got a problem with my boy, Ghost Rider?"

"Not at all. I adore Barry." Kravitz let himself off the wagon once he let the other two down. "I _do_ have a problem with the smell of caked sunscreen and another grown man's unshaven leg pressing up against me for a two hour ride, though."

Barry let out a wheeze-laugh and shook his head. "And I thought we were friends."

The comment shook Kravitz _and_ Taako--although, Lup was the only one who could identify Taako's subtle, unbelieving blink, as if he was briefly hit in the face by an insect. Kravitz was much more obvious, to the point where Barry had to offer a pat on the arm to calm the guy down. Like taming a scared horse.

Davenport looked around. "Where is this place? I don't see anything."

Even past the spot where they parked, there was nothing. Not a sign, not a building. Nothing at all. Lup thought, for a moment, that maybe Angus was a fairy or a dragon or something equally terrifying, and that he was leading them into the forest to murder them. But he was probably just a normal little boy. _Probably._

"It's up ahead." Angus walked forward, and then stopped when he realized nobody was following him. "What?"

Lup shared a look with Taako. She tried to figure out a way to say this nicely. "Uh--don't take this the wrong way, kid, but..."

"Did Lucas pull a prank on you?" Taako asked, because _of course he did,_ the tactless bastard. "Because, honestly, I wouldn't--wouldn't blame him, 'cause it would be really funny to see your face--but, uh, I'm gonna need confirmation this place is real before I start hauling ass through a forest."

"No, it's real! I've been there before." Angus' cheeks turned red and he adjusted his glasses. "It's underground."

 _"You didn't need the sunscreen,"_   Kravitz said, huffy.

Barry laughed again.

They walked across the gravel lot until they reached a set of stairs. It led to an underground tunnel. Everyone looked to Angus, hoping he'd offer _some_ explanation, but the boy only smiled and walked down into the tunnels. At least they were well lit. _Too_ well lit, honestly. Clinical. Buzzing with fluorescent lights. Lup held Barry's hand and Taako's arm the whole way down, because even if the tunnel was spacious and light, it still put a bad feeling in her stomach. If there were curtains down here, she'd probably throw up.

Once the tunnel ran flat underground, the six came across a motorized walkway. Fleshy, leather-like squares of skin were sewn together to create a belt that moved horizontally, like the futuristic sidewalk in Fantasy Jetson's. On one of the squares sat a face, and it moved horizontally along the track. Two perfectly spherical eyes, two rosy cheeks, and a million dollar smile looked up at the group as they approached.

"I'm Sidesy!" The face kept speaking even as it drifted away from them. "Your sliding friend!"

"Cool..." Taako said, in the voice of a man that lost all trust in any of Lucas' inventions. "Are you an elevator? Because I don't do elevators."

"No, you goober! I'm a travelator! I'm a slow-moving conveyor belt that transports you horizontally to your destination!" Sidesy's face approached the end of the track, and got sucked into the floor as they reached the other side. As soon as Sidesy's face came out of sight, it popped up again at the beginning of the track. "Please walk all over my face!"

Without any warning, Lup pushed Kravitz onto Sidesy's moving face.

"Lup--" Kravitz sputtered, running off of Sidesy's face as quickly as he could. "What was _that_ for?"

She shrugged. "I wanted to make sure it was safe."

"So you pushed _me_ onto it?"

"I wasn't going to throw either of my boys onto it, or this little man, and I _respect_ my captain, sometimes." Lup looked further down the tunnel. "There's gotta be a way around this thing, it's really fucking creepy." 

Angus stepped onto one of the flesh squares. "It's alright, ma'am, as long as you don't walk on the face."

Reluctantly, Taako followed right behind Angus, and walked forward ahead of the rest of the group. Kravitz held onto the side of the walkway, his eyes lighting up as Taako ran to meet him.

"Ooooh, since when does Taako rush in?" Lup asked, holding onto Barry as he stepped on. Davenport followed shortly behind them, emitting a grossed-out wail as the flesh squished underneath his feet.

"Since you used my boyfriend as a litmus test for Lucas' bullshit." He turned to Kravitz and muttered something quiet in between them. Kravitz covered his face in embarrassment.

"Gee whiz! You're really going to say that when there's a kid in the room?" Sidesy asked.

"I'm ignoring you," Taako said, not breaking eye contact with Kravitz. They spoke quietly to each other, and Lup decided it wasn't worth it to figure out what they were saying. Davenport looked up at her curiously, trying to gauge Lup's opinion on the whole thing.

"He's good," Lup said, smiling softly. A hundred years with Davenport allowed her to answer his questions before he could even ask them.

"If _you_ say so...perhaps Taako isn't in immediate danger." Davenport looked up at her and offered a wry smile. "But I'm still forming an opinion of him."

"Gross, you're not our dad."

The captain laughed. "Close enough, right?"

"Sometimes."

Kravitz and Taako reached the end of Sidesy first, followed by Angus, and then the other three. A circular room laid out before them, with an elevator-shaped rod piercing through the floor and ceiling.

"Oh _hell_ no," Taako said under his breath, a Pavlovian reaction to elevators.

Or, really, _this specific_ elevator.

"It's very good to see you again!" A familiar, clown-ish face smiled at the group. "I'm Upsy, your lifting friend, ready to take you to a wonderful destination!"

"Can I take the stairs?" Taako asked, looking around the room for a stairway.

"Me too," Lup said, walking forward to take Taako's arm, "I don't. Hmm--I don't want to go in there."

Taako turned back to look at her, a spark of recognition in his eyes. "Hey, Agnes, is there another way to get in this place?"

"There's a maintenance shaft you can take in the back." Angus rushed towards the backside of Upsy, motioning for Lup and Taako to follow him. "I can get you access."

Taako thought on this for a long moment--a maintenance shaft is still, technically, an elevator. But a maintenance shaft is not as enclosed as a traditional elevator, and Lup worried more about enclosed spaces after her ten year prison. Taako came to a conclusion and followed Angus, with Lup right at his side. "Better than getting vored by Lucas' elevator baby."

"Anyone else want to come?" Lup asked, her eyes on Barry, Kravitz, and Davenport.

Davenport answered before Kravitz or Barry could process the question. "We're alright." He turned to look up at Kravitz, a gleam of something fierce in his eye.

Lup clicked her tongue and raised her eyebrows at Taako. They both knew this game. Luckily, Taako was more concerned over his sister's safety than protecting Kravitz from a very long and uncomfortable elevator ride with Davenport. At least Barry would be there as a buffer.

* * *

Barry was _not_ excited to be a buffer.

At least Davenport liked Lup and Barry equally when they started dating. It was a happy thing when they made it official, something to break up the endless cycle of destruction and despair. On the years when morale was lowest, Merle would marry them, or re-affirm their vows--do _something_ to remind the crew that at least one good thing came out of their horrible situation. But Kravitz was _new,_ and had tried to _kill_   Taako, Magnus, and Merle, hunted Barry for a decade. He would have hunted Lup if she wasn't trapped, and if Lucretia and Davenport didn't hide well enough they would have been hunted by Kravitz too. Davenport cared about his crew, and he was determined to make up for lost time. Barry wasn't about to get in the captain's way. That could only end in disaster.

Still, he couldn't help but feel _bad_ for Kravitz.

Davenport led the two to the elevator and pressed one of his buttons. Upsy sprang to attention, his walls fleshy and bouncy in a way that could forcibly launch the lunches out of the boys' stomachs.

"Looks like the three of you are ready for the ride of your lives!" Upsy's eyes were the size and luster of a dinner plate, pupils darting around like a googly eye. The pupils focused towards Kravitz and Barry. "OOH, what a handsome man!"

"Um." Kravitz looked off in the direction Taako left. "I'm taken?"

"Not you! I was talking about the man in the stylish jean shorts!"

"They're called jorts," Barry said, and ran a hand along down the side.

"Fantastic! I can't wait to get _that_   inside my gob!" Upsy opened his doors, showing the gooey and springy interior to his new guests. Slime coated the edges of the doors, oozing out on the floor in front of them. "Which direction are you going?"

The three looked at each other until Barry answered, "Down? I guess?"

"Down's my least favorite!" The elevator shook and shuddered as Upsy spoke. "I'll never see happiness again! I've been forever imprisoned to only take people down! This is a hell I will never escape from!"

Making a point to ignore Upsy's wails of distress, the three stepped inside. The ground squished underfoot. The air inside the elevator was thick and moist. Upsy let out some more complaints about going down, but Barry filtered them out in favor of watching Davenport and Kravitz. The captain didn't let Kravitz out of his sight even once, eyes always flicking over to him suspiciously. Kravitz was very aware of this, holding onto Barry like a lifeline.

He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at the sight.

"What?" Kravitz whispered, eyes still on Davenport.

"Ho--h _\--horse,"_ Barry said, biting his tongue.

"H...horse?"

"It's just--it's like you're a horse that got spooked by a mouse," he whispered back, laughter bubbling behind the words.

"Are you having a _stroke?"_ Kravitz asked, half concerned and half bewildered.

Barry covered his mouth, but couldn't hide the laughter that spilled out.

Davenport took his eyes off of Kravitz and put them right on Barry. "Is everything okay up there?"

"It's just--" He snorted, then took a breath to collect himself. "Kravitz is so _afraid_ of you."

"Why wouldn't I be?" Kravitz lowered his voice more, sucking air through his teeth. "This might be the closest I get to meeting Taako's parents."

"You don't have to be so nervous." Barry squeezed his shoulder.

"He does," Davenport said, but couldn't stop the big grin forming under his mustache.

"I promise I don't have any ill intentions towards him, and I will do anything in my power to see him happy--" Kravitz stumbled through his words, worrying his thumb into the back of his hand. "I care about him very much."

"Of course you do." Davenport straightened his posture and looked up at Kravitz as menacingly as he could manage. "But if that ever changes, we'll have to have words."

Kravitz raised his eyes to the ceiling, hoping the captain wouldn't see him sweating. "Yes, sir."

The elevator opened after that, as if it was waiting for the conversation to end. He might have been. Upsy works in mysterious ways.

"Welcome to Shaft World!" Upsy opened his doors and let them out. He rose back up out of sight, wailing all the way. "Life is meaningless!"

The three lost their minds over the absurdity of the name _Shaft World._ Barry doubled over in laughter, Kravitz had to lean over a wall, and Davenport clutched his chest like he was having a heart attack. What kind of person names an establishment _Shaft World?_  Davenport muttered something about the R&D department of this place. Angus, Lup, and Taako came running up to them, confused at the laughter.

Lup waltzed up and hooked her arm with Barry's immediately. "Whoa, hey, what'd we miss? Something funny?"

"This place--" Barry wheezed, his eyes watered over with tears. "This place is called--it's--this place is called _Shaft World--"_

The absolute delight in Lup and Taako's face was only outmatched by Angus' killer eyeroll at the name.

They took a good five minutes to emotionally process the whole thing. Five minutes of howling laughter, which echoed off the walls of the--cave? Was this a cave? It was well lit, whatever it was. Nobody was looking at the actual venue, they were more concerned with the horrible name. Taako managed to point towards a sign that said _Shaft World,_ and everyone lost their minds all over again once they realized the shape of the logo was a _little_ too risqué. They laughed so hard it felt as if Jeffandrew (Not God, not Jesus, not Gary Gygax) was laughing with them. 

Angus cut them out of the laughing loop. "It's not dirty, sir, it's like--you know, an _elevator shaft?"_

 _"Sure,_ of course, I get that, but--" Taako wiped a tear from his eye. "Nobody--nobody play-tested the name?"

"I tried to get him to change it." The boy crossed his arms.

"No, fuck that, this is _perfect."_  He leaned on Kravitz for support as he descended into another fit of laughter.

"Are you going to laugh over the name for half an hour, or are you done?" Angus asked, getting impatient.

 _"Kid's got some bite,"_ Taako mumbled, but turned to look at the place.

They were underground, in an artificial bubble. Barry and the rest of the crew knew it as an amusement park, but Kravitz and Angus probably wouldn't know the word for it. This must have been such a novelty to them. There wasn't much of a theme, aside from elevators and a general futuristic aesthetic. Or, at least, futuristic for _this_ plane--the crew thought it was kind of outdated. All neon colors, geometric shapes, and an obsession for outer space. The ceiling and walls were enchanted to look like the night sky, with twinkling stars and flying comets. Lights lined the pathways and the attractions, everything lit up in obnoxious neon colors. There were classics, like Ferris wheels and carousels, but there were also strange attractions that Lucas must have stolen from the Plane of Thought. Elevators were everywhere, which Taako didn't seem too excited about. Thankfully, there were plenty of non-elevator themed attractions.

"It's not open to the public yet, so I have to give you clearance on all the rides." Angus stepped in front of the group like a guide. "Where to first?"

Lup grabbed her brother and ran right for a high-speed coaster with a track that ran across the entire perimeter of the bubble. Angus scuttled up after them.

"Captain, wanna go on this giant centrifuge-lookin' thing with us?" she asked as she ran away.

Davenport laughed and followed the twins. "I'll be right over, give me some time to catch up."

Barry nudged Kravitz, and they followed behind. Angus led them to the entrance of the coaster. A sign hung over the entrance that read _Starblaster,_ and all the cars looked like little modified Starblasters. Copyright infringement, much? Angus got out a set of keys and jammed them into the ride's console, causing the motors in the track to spring to life.

Lup rubbed her hands together and jumped inside the first seat with Taako. Davenport pushed Kravitz in the seat behind and sat right up next to him, still menacing. Barry was about to step into the third row with Angus, but the boy didn't budge. Just kept his hands on the console.

"You comin' on with us, kid?" he asked, pointing to the car.

"Um, no, I have to stay and make sure the ride works properly!" His hands wavered on the console a bit. "And, I'm a little scared of this ride. It's really fast."

Taako groaned. "Okay, someone's gotta stay with him, I guess."

"Nobody has to, I'm not a baby!"

"I'll do it," Barry volunteered, and stepped away from the carriage. "This ride looks like it'll mess with my stomach."

Angus looked like he was about to protest, but instead grinned and pressed the "go" button on the ride when Barry cleared the loading area. He didn't warn anyone, either--just slammed his fist down on that button. Little shit.

The safety bars clamped down on their legs and the car went full speed along the track.

As the riders screamed and wailed down the track, Barry looked down at Angus, both holding back giggles.

"Hey, teach me how to use these consoles in case you want to go on a ride."

Angus nodded, and walked him through the steps. "Lucas is employing a lot of teenagers here, so, it's really pretty simple..."

* * *

As the day went on, more of them learned how to use the console, since at least one person had to stay back to operate the ride at all times. It wasn't difficult for the Starblaster crew, considering they were all engineers and scientists, but Kravitz didn't understand it no matter how many explanations Angus gave. Taako accused him of being a Luddite.

"Don't worry about learning it, I'll stay behind on this one," Lup said, frowning.

The ride was an enclosed VR experience called _Escape to Margaritaville._ It required all the riders to put on glasses and get inside a very, very tight compartment. Lup hesitated when she saw the place.

"Oh, uh--yeah, got it," Taako said, stealing a quick hug from his sister. "You good being on your own?"

Lup paused for a moment, and then nodded slowly. "Sure."

Taako didn't buy it, about to open his mouth to announce he would stay, but--

"I'll pass on this ride too," Kravitz said, standing next to the console with Lup. Taako lit up at the sight.

"Great! Uh, we'll--" Taako moved towards the VR room. "We'll be inside!"

Lup waited until the rest were inside, and then turned on the ride. The carriage moved on a robot arm, probably to enhance the experience inside. Lup sat down on a bench next to the console, and Kravitz joined her.

"You didn't have to stay," she said, a sour look on her face. "I can wait by myself."

"I don't mean to overstep any boundaries, but...it seems like you don't like being left alone."

"Jeez--" Lup put her hands up in defeat. "Fuck, Ghost Rider, you got me. Was it really that obvious?"

"A little." He couldn't help smiling a bit. "Knowing what you've gone through, I don't blame you."

Lup just hummed in response. She must not have wanted to talk about it. Kravitz could respect that. It wasn't like her to be so quiet, but she got her energy back soon enough.

"So..." Lup leaned in uncomfortably close, wearing a mischievous grin. _"I do too?"_

Kravitz felt his face burn. "Yes--he, uh, I assume he told you--"

The smile grew wider. "Oh, dude, he's told me _everything."_

"I'm not surprised." He leaned away, trying his best not to look _too_ nervous. _When she says everything, does she mean **everything?**_   "You two are close."

"That doesn't bother you?"

He tilted his head, confused. "Why would it?"

"Jealousy, I guess? It's ruined a couple of our relationships before." Lup shrugged, an attempt to seem standoffish about the whole thing. Kravitz wasn't fooled; she had some of the same nervous tells that Taako had. Tapping fingers, dropping ears, clenched jaw. "People can't handle it."

"Well, I can. Whatever rituals or traditions you have with Taako, I won't--I'm not going to get in the way of that." Kravitz smiled, hoping it came across as comforting. "I know how much you mean to him. I would never think of getting in between that."

The answer seemed to appease Lup. She stretched her arms out and every joint popped in the most concerning way possible. "Barry and Taako are close, aren't they?"

"Y...yes?" Kravitz frowned. Didn't they have this conversation before? 

"It's--you have no idea how _good_ that is. That they're friends. It's really, really important to me." 

"What are you getting at?"

Lup stayed quiet for a moment, then hooked an arm around Kravitz' neck, pulling him down to her level. "I like you." She grinned wider, tightening her grip. "I don't know if I've said that before."

"You've, um, implied it. It means a lot to me to hear it aloud, though." He faintly understood what she meant. Kravitz didn't try to hide the way his eyes shined from the rough manhandling Lup gave him, because he'd seen her do it so many times to Taako or Barry. This was a good thing. Lup _liked_ him. The most important person in Taako's life liked him. Which meant that he could stay for a long time. He looked over towards the VR carriage. "I don't think your captain does, though."

"Don't worry about it. I mean. I'll talk to him if you want, but...if you stay with Taako, he'll warm up."

Kravitz smiled. "I have every intention of staying with Taako."

Lup pinched his cheek hard and pulled, the start of a lifetime of rough sibling teasing. "I believe you."

The ride stopped, and the rest of the crew filed out. Taako took one look at Lup (who still had Kravitz in a semi-loving headlock) and beamed. He sat on the other end of Kravitz and put him in a similar headlock, fighting Lup for the possession of his boyfriend.

"What're we talking about?"

"You, dingus."

"All good things, I assume?" He leaned his head on Kravitz' shoulder.

"Only good things with you," Kravitz said, banking into the touch. He felt Davenport's eyes on him, but it felt less menacing than before.

Lup gagged and let go of Kravitz. "Gross, I'm _right here."_

Taako bat her away with his hand. "Just catching up from all the schmoopy gross shit you did with Barold in front of me."

"Whatever." She shoved Kravitz on the shoulder, the awkward barrier between them broken. Kravitz had the sinking feeling that she'd be pushing and manhandling him for an eternity. He couldn't bring himself to be annoyed by that. "Hey, bone boy? If there're any rides you can't go on, lemme know. I'll stay back too. Since you can't operate the console."

"Thank you, Lup." They both smiled at each other.

"Oh, wow,  _gross,_ I'm the one dating him. Not you."

Lup rolled her eyes. "Disgusting. I wouldn't date him, he's practically my brother."

"I--uh--" Taako froze in his tracks, holding tightly to Kravitz. Not frightened; just surprised. Excited. "Yeah, for sure."

Lup and the rest walked ahead to their next destination, leaving Kravitz and Taako on the bench. Taako pressed his cheek into Kravitz' arm, held his hand like something precious. He had a look on his face that Kravitz learned was the "trying to say _I love you_ but failing" face.

"I know," Kravitz said, kissing Taako's temple. "Take your time."

"You're too nice."

"I'm just as nice as you deserve."

Taako didn't respond, but Kravitz had a feeling that he was starting to believe him when he said that. "You havin' a good time?"

"This place is a little strange, but yes. It's nice to be with your family."

"They're yours, too."

"Maybe they're starting to be, but--not yet." Kravitz squeezed Taako's hand. "Your captain scares me a little."

"I'll talk to him," Taako said, leaning up to press a kiss on his cheek. 

Lup called for them to _stop flirting,_ so Taako kissed him quick and stood back up. "I'm glad Lup likes you, at the very least," he said, walking off. "Takes some of the pressure off."

Kravitz followed right behind him. "It really does."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> POSTING IN THE MORNING BECAUSE NONE OF YOU WILL GO TO SLEEP  
> so, job's going well, but only expect updates on the weekends now???? i'm still working out my schedule for this. most of the next chapter is written already, though, so i'll probably be able to update next week unless something bad happens????????  
> also, the END of this fic is in sight! it's going to be 27 chapters. the ending is really good, ya'll. i'm stupidly excited for chapter 24, 90% of it is already written because i don't know what self control is  
> next time, more amusement park shenanigans. featuring: the most awkward tunnel of love scene in fiction history, copyright infringement, and downzo


	20. Family Trip (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Kravitz have strange conversations, but not at the same time. Lucas' amusement park isn't very good.

"If it's a water ride, I think I'll stay here--"

\--Is what Kravitz _started_ to say as they approached some ride called the _Tunnel of Love,_ but Captain Davenport had other plans.

"I'd like to ride this with you."

The amount of snickering coming out of Taako threw Kravitz completely off his game. Not that he had much game to begin with. Taako would feel guilty, but--no, Taako doesn't do that. The amount of malice in Davenport's eyes as he asked snapped Kravitz back into his right mind, anyway. Barry and Lup had already left on their own ride, _the dorks._ Angus was already up at the console, grimacing and rolling his eyes, possibly thinking about how gross adults were.

"Might want to hold back on that, Capp'nport, my boy doesn't play well with water." Taako smiled and grinned, but his tone was serious.

"If you would like to get me alone for a private conversation, I would be willing to go on the Ferris wheel with you," Kravitz offered.

Davenport agreed with that, but Taako pulled him by the arm when he tried to sit down next to the console.

"Oh, but _I'll_ totally go on this creepy love-tunnel date with my captain," Taako said, wearing a showman's grin. "Whaddya say?"

He took a good minute to think about it, but agreed. Davenport took the next boat that came up, pulling Taako in with him.

The tunnel was...gaudy. Tacky. Over the top. Sappy. Gross. Filled with hearts and stars and backed with cheesy romantic music. They passed by an animatronic string quartet. The boats were shaped like swans. Whole place was painted in warm colors and sparkles. So much glitter, it looked like a clown threw up all over the place. The lights were dimmed, the boats moved slow, the water was pink and sparkling. Incredibly, stupidly, completely cheesy and sappy and _disgusting._

Taako wished Kravitz was there.

It would be sappy, but he already showed his hand to Kravitz the second night in the cabin--there was no way he could go back to pretending that he hated the sap. Except, this was so cheesy, even Kravitz would make fun of it. They could make fun of it together. But, _no_ , he had to sit here with his captain. It wasn't even a little funny, it was just _awkward._ Two coworkers in a swan boat together, sultry saxophone music playing behind them.

"Why did you invite me here, Taako?" Davenport asked, exhausted, refusing to make eye contact.

"Oh, so Kravitz can ride in a magic swanboat with you, but I can't?" Taako put on a fake pout.

"I just didn't think this place would be so..."

"Cheesy?"

"Right." He still refused to look Taako in the eye. "And honestly, I was just trying to get a moment alone with the man."

"Ugh, don't tell me you're gonna shovel the guy."

"I'm your captain, I feel as if I have the right to." He turned his chin up and pinned his shoulders back the same way he always did when he had to look official.

"Sure, whatever, but Lup's already vetted the guy, he's cool, you don't have to worry about it."

"I can talk to him if I want," Davenport said, but there was a strange tightness in his voice. Taako hadn't heard that in thirty years or so--not since he voiced his concerns over Barry and Lup turning into liches. 

"Alright, Capp'n, what's up?" Taako asked, turning to face Davenport.

Davenport shrugged. "Just doing my job."

_"Is it_   your job?" He laughed. "Because it just looks like you're scaring my man off."

"Do you really think he'll leave just because I'm questioning him?" The captain frowned. "If so, maybe he's not best for you."

"No. There's no way he'd ever leave." It was a thought that Taako had to get used to, that Kravitz wanted him for more than a night. Now that he was used to it, though, he couldn't imagine _not_ thinking that. "But he gets--he's a nervous one."

"So you and Lup have a type?" Davenport's face turned smug. He leaned over the side of the boat.

"Shut up," Taako said, but couldn't help from smiling.

"I just want to make sure he's right." The captain let out a breath. "You lost just as much as I did, Taako, I--I really want to see you happy in this plane."

"I am happy." He smiled again--more warm, less show--just to make a point. "Like, everything that happened was--kinda fucked up, and, I'm not handing out forgiveness passes yet, but. _I'm_ doing good. Not _great,_ but. I'm getting there."

"Because you have Lup back?"

"That's a big part of it, sure," he said, tapping his fingers against the side of the boat. "But also--fuck, I don't know, Kravitz is the first person outside of the crew that I've-- _cared_ this much about, y'know? He's--uh, he's solid. Doesn't feel like he's gonna slip away at the end of the year."

"Nobody is, Taako."

"I know, we don't--don't have to worry about that anymore, but." He sucked a breath through his teeth and waved his hand in the air. "Kind of difficult to start caring about everyone on this planar system at once? He's really--" Taako paused; normally, he'd jump at the chance to gross Davenport out by calling him hot or beautiful, but that wasn't the first thought that came into his mind. _Huh._ "He's really...good. I, uh, think we're a good balance."

Davenport looked Taako up and down, thinking through the whole thing. His shoulders slumped and he looked off further into the tunnel. "I suppose he can't be all bad, then."

Taako squinted. "You're still gonna grill him, aren't'ya?"

"I need to."

"Uh, no you don't?" Taako's ears lifted and fell--he wasn't sure if Davenport's insistence on this was a good or a bad thing. "Why d'you think that?"

The captain stared down the tunnel, holding back on his answer. Taako had to tap his shoulder before he started speaking again. "It's been...such a long time since anyone has given me any sort of authority," Davenport admitted. "He's nervous because he knows I'm in charge of you. He's trying to impress me. I kind of missed--missed having that authority."

Without thinking of being insensitive, Taako barked out a laugh. "He's kind of a sucker for authority. You should see him talk about his boss."

"Then he shouldn't have a problem with me." Davenport stared vacantly off in the distance.

"Guess not..." Taako blew out a breath that was impossibly long if he had to breathe. "Can you go easy on him?"

"Not _too_   easy," Davenport said, playful.

"Please?"

"I thought you'd jump at the chance to fluster the guy."

"Yeah, sure, _normally,_ but. Not right now, maybe later..." Taako took in a breath and gripped the side of the boat. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to squeak out the real explanation. He did it in front of two goddesses, Lup, and Barry, but not to anyone else. If he could do it in front of anyone else, though, Davenport would be on the list. Hard to go a hundred years without putting _some_ kind of faith in a person. It wouldn't harm him to try it, at least. "I'm in love with him. I'm keeping him. For a long time. Don't know how long, yet, but--uh--centuries, at least."

As he said it, the goofiest smile pressed itself to his face. _Did it again. Great!_ Maybe if he said it enough to other people, it wouldn't be as difficult to tell Kravitz.

"Oh." Davenport relaxed a bit. "Damn, Taako, that's--"

"I know, right?" Taako covered his mouth to hide the off-brand grin that formed there. "So, really, don't--uh, don't scare him too much. I'd--fuck, I want him to feel welcome with the rest of you."

"Alright, I'll go easy." They fell back into silence for just a moment, until Davenport turned to tease him. "Didn't take _you_ fifty years, huh?"

Taako threw himself back into an acceptable cool an aloof attitude. "Obviously, I'm the better twin. Taako doesn't pine."

Davenport laughed and turned his eyes toward the tunnel again. That stiffness in his posture was still there. Taako thought it would go away once he resolved the situation with Kravitz, but apparently not. This shit wasn't his strong suit, but he scooted closer and squeezed the captain's shoulder. 

"You doin' okay, Capp'n?"

He drew in a deep breath before answering. "It's taking a while. Ten years was a long time to be--to be like that." His eyes fell to his lap, where his hands fidgeted. "It's getting better, a bit. Candlenights was nice."

"Yeah, it was."

"My head still feels fogged over sometimes."

"Same here, whenever I think about growing up." Taako reached into his pocket. "Do I have your Farspeech frequency?"

"I don't think so."

"Give it over," he said, holding out the new stone Barry got him after destroying his old one. "I dunno, just--call me if it gets bad? I won't know what the fuck to do, but, I'll at least understand you."

Davenport held out his too, letting the stones sync up. "You've really softened up, haven't you?"

Taako's face scrunched up like he had eaten an entire lemon. "You tell anyone, I'll throw you into a demiplane."

The ride came to an end. As their boat crossed through the last room, spouts of water shot up on the side of their boat. Angus waited for them at the console, allowing their swan to come to a complete stop. Taako helped Davenport off the boat and onto the loading zone, like a fucking gentleman. Barry and Lup laughed off in the corner about the sheer absurdity of the ride. Kravitz' entire face lit up as soon as Taako came into his line of sight--Taako almost dropped Davenport off the boat when he saw the way Kravitz looked at him.

"You're right," Davenport whispered, thankful Taako _didn't_ drop him off the boat. "He's good."

"Of course I'm right. Taako doesn't deserve any--any less than perfect." Taako's voice wavered a bit, and _damn it,_ he should have been embarrassed to be so shaken by one look from a hot guy.

Except it wasn't _just_   a hot guy, it was Kravitz, and Taako was starting to learn that there was a big difference between the two.

"Where to next?" Barry asked.

Kravitz raised his hand as if this was some kind of school field trip. "I believe I'm needed at the Ferris wheel."

"He's accountable," Davenport said, both brows raised. "I suppose opposites attract."

Taako was about to deny his lack of work ethic, but suddenly Kravitz was doubled over laughing, holding to the wall for support. Davenport laughed with him, a little too pleased with his own joke. Taako lazily pointed his thumb towards his boyfriend, acting as nonchalant as he possibly could. "Don't be fooled, he was fifteen minutes late on our first date."

Both of them laughed even harder. Taako wondered how it was possible for Kravitz' laugh to fit in so perfectly with the rest of his family.

* * *

"Alright, kid, pick a ride."

Angus had finally decided to get on a "scary" ride--most of them were fine for a boy his age to ride, but he was too timid to ride them. Taako convinced him to do at least one _('cause, hey, if you die on the ride we can totally sue the shit out of Lucas),_ so the boy's eyes scanned the park for a ride.

Everyone seemed to have a soft spot for Angus, but Kravitz hadn't spent a whole lot of time with him. Seemed like a sweet boy, a normal boy. Kravitz didn't see children very often, and the ones he saw were usually subject to a terrible fate. Angus was a happy, well-adjusted kid. Still, Kravitz was surprised how far Taako's soft spot for the kid went. He got letters from Angus during his time at Lucas', and the few times Kravitz had seen them in the same room together they had some kind of teacher/apprentice bond. It wasn't bad, not even a little bit--the whole thing was endearing--it just didn't make sense that someone so chaotic would attach to someone so lawful. Must have been a story behind the two that he wasn't aware of.

"That one? Really?" Taako held back a grimace, showing off more restraint than Kravitz had ever seen out of him. "Doesn't seem _too_ scary? You sure about that?"

The boy had his finger pointed to a sign not very far from where they stood: _Downzo's Drilling Adventure._   "It's just a vertical drop, it doesn't seem that scary! I think it's a good place to start!"

"Well, uh, you can--you can get on that one, that's fine, but you _know_ Taako doesn't do elevators." Taako watched as Angus ran towards the ride, reluctantly following him after a moment. The rest followed behind Taako, and he turned to ask, "Who wants to go on this with the boy?"

"Sorry, that's out of my wheelhouse too," Lup said, eyeing the elevator-shaped carriage that approached. She snorted at Taako. "Guess we're both bad at elevators?"

Barry squeezed Lup's hand. "Do you think it'd be dark in there?"

"Okay, that's three of us out..." Taako approached the ride, with Angus already waiting by the elevator. It looked suspiciously like Upsy, but with cool-guy shades and a few missing teeth. A wooden cutout of Upsy stood in front of the place where a line _would_ be, his arm held out to the height needed to get on the ride. Angus barely reached it.

"I'm not tall enough to ride?" Davenport squinted at the height requirements. "That's racist."

"So that's a no?" Angus asked, visibly disappointed.

"I wouldn't say that," Kravitz said. He walked up to the elevator with Angus. "I can go on with you, Angus, if you're okay with that."

"Thank you, sir! I'd like that very much!"

Taako shot him a double thumbs-up, cooly appreciative of how Kravitz took care of the situation. Angus laid the console key into Lup's hands and she went to turn the ride on. Kravitz led the boy inside the elevator.

"Ya'll should be ready to go on the ride of yer life," Downzo said as they entered, speaking in a bad western accent. Kravitz shuddered, worried that he was going to be stuck in another awkward elevator situation.

Thankfully, all of Downzo's dialogue seemed to be scripted and pre-recorded. His insides weren't wet like Upsy's, but they were lined with fabric that was meant to emulate the flesh inside. Three rows of benches with handles sat inside the carriage. When the doors closed, they could see through Downzo's cool-guy shades--which, really, didn't make much sense once Kravitz thought about it. He did take the opportunity to watch Taako through the shades. Still as radiant as always. A little exhausted; they _had_ been walking around the park for the bulk of the day. He only watched long enough to allow Angus to strap himself in. Otherwise it would have been weird.

Angus ran to sit in the front row and pulled a seatbelt over his lap. He asked Kravitz to sit next to him. There wasn't any reason for him not to, so he obliged, but couldn't hide the nervous tint in his face. He wasn't sure how to interact with children.  

There was a little bit of wailing from Downzo's automated voice about how Upsy was his true enemy, how he felt obligated to drill farther down than the other elevator, _whatever._ The ride's weird elevator jealousy plotline didn't matter. They were here for the drop. Although, it was taking a hell of a long time to get there. Downzo kept going on his rant about his rivalry with Upsy, kept talking until Kravitz and Angus were tired of the whole thing.

Neither were expecting Downzo to drop mid-sentence.

Angus let out a wail of surprise, gripping the holds next to his seat like his life depended on it. Downzo kept talking through the whole thing, but Kravitz couldn't hear any of it--he was too distracted watching the layers of the ground pass by through Downzo's glasses and the popping of his ears as they went farther in the ground. The carriage dropped so fast that it felt like they were floating at one point, until--

It stopped.

The lights shut out.

Downzo stopped yapping.

Kravitz took a moment to breathe, putting all the air back in his lungs after it was sucked out from the fall. He had been gripping the holds on his seat too tight. His fingers ached. Angus had stopped shouting and Kravitz could hear him breathing. Good. An official-sounding woman's voice came over the speaker. It, too, sounded pre-recorded.

_"Please stay seated. An attendant has been flagged to extract your party from the ride."_

Fantastic. They were trapped in this hole.

"Oh--uh, this is--this is unfortunate." Kravitz was screaming on the inside, but stayed calm on the outside so he wouldn't frighten the boy. "Are you alright, Angus?"

He didn't answer. Kravitz couldn't see very well in the dark, but he _swore_ Angus was smiling. Angus straightened in his seat and cast Light, although he took a long time to cast it. A more experienced wizard could have cast two spells in that time. He placed the wand in the spot between their seats. Kravitz felt a strange foggy sensation in his brain--that couldn't be good. They needed to get _out_ of this elevator.

"This isn't good, we should call for help..." Kravitz reached into his pocket for his stone of Farspeech, but it wasn't there. He _swore_ he took it on this trip with him, where could it have gone?

Angus coughed, and suddenly Kravitz' stone was hanging on a string in Angus' hands.

_"Angus?"_

"It's alright, sir, I have this under control." Angus unbuckled his safety harness (muttering _Lucas shouldn't allow these to be unbuckled during the ride_ under his breath) and stood in front of Kravitz. He staggered on his feet a bit, still shaken by the ride. "I would like to speak with you for a moment."

"...Angus, did you do this on purpose?"

"Of course I did," he said, as if it was something a completely normal boy would do. "Captain Davenport was too obvious with his suspicion of you. Taako managed to talk him down. I was determined not to make that same mistake."

"And--the ride--"

"I chose the one ride in the park that I knew everybody except you couldn't go on." Even though he just pulled off a goddamn elevator heist to capture and corner Kravitz, he grinned like a normal boy would, like he had just gotten free ice cream. "And it just _happened_ to be one of the rides that had a severe engine malfunction. I'm just lucky Lucas doesn't ever put up safety signs!"

_"Please stay seated. An attendant has been flagged to extract your party from the ride,"_ the automated voice said again.

Kravitz looked up, towards the source of the sound. "That's very nice, Angus, but it sounds like help is coming soon."

"No they aren't! I disabled the alarm system." Angus grinned so wide, Kravitz could see he was missing two teeth. "Couldn't disable the announcement in here, though. Didn't have access to that."

Oh. Kravitz miscalculated. Angus McDonald wasn't a lawful boy. He was _just_ as chaotic as his teacher, but more quiet about it.

"Then...how will we get out?" He couldn't hide the concern in his voice--how long would it take for them to run out of oxygen in this elevator? His head already felt fuzzy, but Angus seemed fine. Kravitz couldn't call his scythe and portal them out while he was on vacation. Between Taako, Lup, Barry, and Davenport, he was sure they'd be able to save the two, but if they didn't know anything was wrong...

"I'll give your stone back once we're done." Angus' grin turned into something a little more sympathetic. Could he tell how nervous Kravitz felt? "Don't worry, sir! We're not going to die in this elevator, I'll make sure of that!"

"I assumed we wouldn't..." He figured he should play along with this whole thing. "What were you trying to accomplish by getting me into an elevator trap?"

"I want to know your intentions with Mister Taako," he said, nose sticking up in the air.

Kravitz held back a laugh, watching this little boy try and be intimidating.

"Laugh all you want, sir, but I'm a wizard and you're mortal right now." Angus pushed his glasses up his nose. "I've been learning fourth level spells at school, and you're weakened right now. I think I could take you."

Okay, no, Kravitz _did_ laugh at that one.

Angus frowned. "Alright, so--so that's how it is?" He held out his palms, drawing frustrated gestures in the air. Kravitz kept laughing. "This is--this is like, a funny thing for you? I shouldn't get laughed at because I'm a little boy trying to--to look out for one of my friends."

Kravitz wiped away a laughter tear. "I'm sorry, it's just--I don't usually get threatened by ten year olds."

The boy crossed his arms. "Well, sir, I'm eleven, so shut the fuck up."

That didn't work. Kravitz covered his mouth to hold back giggling.

"Usually swears are supposed to show off that a person is serious," Angus said. "I read that if you put a swear in the beginning and at the end of a presentation, you seem more passionate about the topic. Why are you laughing?"

"No, it's--it's just so _adorable_ coming out of your tiny voice." Kravitz forced himself to take a breath and calm down. "I'm sorry. Please, go ahead and say what you need."

But after a minute of silence, Angus hadn't said anything more. He stood in front of Kravitz, rolling the stolen stone of Farspeech in his hand.

"Angus?" Kravitz leaned forward, "Were you going to start soon? I don't want us to run out of oxygen down here."

Angus shuffled his feet and looked at the ground. "I, uh--didn't actually think of what--what I'd say once I was down here."

"Really?"

"I'm sorry, I don't actually know that much about relationships--my school just told us to practice abstinence until we died, which, I'm not sure is entirely healthy? But I'm also a little boy, so, not too sure on that one." 

"I shouldn't be the one to tell you this, but that's--that's absolutely wrong." Kravitz frowned. He knew he shouldn't talk about this any more than it was necessary. Kind of creepy for a grown man to give a kid the birds and bees talk (without his parents' permission) while they were trapped in an elevator together. "I'm not entirely sure you're old enough to be hearing about this anyway. Maybe ask your parents when you're older?"

"Oh, no sir, my only family was my grandpa, and also my dad, but he only visits when he wants to scold me about Pagan gods. I only see him once a year." Angus noticed Kravitz' face fall at hearing that, and he scrambled to lighten the atmosphere up. "But that's alright, I don't need a family when I've got--I've got everyone at the Bureau. And I'm making a lot of friends at Lucas' school."

"That's wonderful, Angus." Great, an eleven year old had a more established social circle than he did. "Taako seems to care about you very much, as well."

"You really think he does?" Angus' entire face lit up at that. "I deduced that, maybe he has trouble saying so, but also, he pulls a lot of goofs on me."

"That doesn't mean anything. He pulls a lot of goofs on me too. When we first met, he threatened to include me in some sort of sick tentacle pornography."

"What's pornography?" Angus asked, pulling out a notepad and pen from his pocket.

"Oh-kay, Angus, I think that's enough. No, please, pl-please stop writing that down--" Kravitz lowered Angus' notepad from his face, and he stopped writing. "Listen, I will answer any of your questions about Taako and I, as long as you call for help within five minutes."

"I can swing that!" He rose his pen and notepad up again, ready to take notes. "Are you going to ask him to marry you?"

"I--uh, that's--" Kid went right for the throat, didn't he? If Kravitz didn't know any better, he'd think Taako bribed him into doing this. "One day, yes. Not for--not for a long time, though. I want to give him time to settle into the idea. I believe him when he says he wants to stay around a long time, but I want to make sure he doesn't feel trapped." Weird. Kravitz didn't mean to go that in-depth, but that fuzzy feeling in his brain made it difficult to think. Didn't matter too much, none of what he was saying was untrue.

Angus nodded and wrote down part of Kravitz' answer. "How are you prepared to provide for him when you're dead, and also, earn no money?"

"Taako is more famous than anybody could have ever imagined to be. People just _hand_ him money now, and if that's not enough he'd just steal the rest. I _can_ protect him from the undead, and he'll probably end up immortal since the Raven Queen is very sweet on us staying together." Kravitz felt like he could stop there, but the weird brain feeling made more words fall out. "But I'd like to think I--guess I want to provide emotionally for him? He does a lot of acting out in public, but he's been doing less of it when we're alone."

He kept writing without looking up. "Do you like him?"

"I love him, with all my heart," he said, the words as easy as breathing.

Angus wracked his brain for more questions. He had trouble coming up with more. But just as he opened his mouth to ask another one, a flash of light appeared beside them, and Taako stood there after it dimmed.

"What the _fuck_ is going on in here?" He looked between Angus and Kravitz, stunned. "Barold said the ride stopped, but the alarm system was _out,_ and then--and then we tried to call _both of_ _you_ on the stone, but no answer!"

"Oh, I guess the stone doesn't work down here." Angus handed Kravitz' stone back and smiled up at Taako. "Sorry, sir!"

Taako stared down Angus. "And you're--you're what? Having a nice tea and chat down here?"

"Sort of." Angus put his pen behind his ear and his notepad into his vest pocket. "I wanted to make sure his intentions with you weren't bad."

"You--" Taako snorted and spat out a laugh so violent, it would have ruptured his lungs if he wasn't temporarily dead. He was crying, slapping his knee, and leaning on the wall for support. Angus wasn't amused.

"Okay, alright, I guess it's--it's just really funny when a boy does this, isn't it?" He sat back down on the bench, pouting. "Brings out a laugh in everyone? It's a real--a real kicker, I guess."

"I mean, yeah, it's fucking hilarious, having a _baby_ interrogate my boyfriend. Kind of ador--" Taako immediately stopped laughing. His voice fell blank for a minute, mentally processing the situation. Then, he laughed again, even harder. "Wh--hold up, is there a Zone of Truth in here?"

"I needed to make sure I was getting honest answers out of him."

Kravitz raised his hand to his head, trying to scratch out the fuzzy feeling in his brain. "I wasn't aware there was a Zone of Truth up..."

Angus covered his mouth to hide a laugh of his own. "Really? You couldn't feel the brain tingles?"

"I thought that was from the lack of oxygen." He smiled uncomfortably. "I didn't have any intention of lying in the first place."

"Yeah, kid, he's stupidly honest. Even if he passed his saving throw, he'd have given you the same answers." Taako turned to lock eyes with Kravitz. He felt a sharp prick down his spine as he realized he'd seen that look before. He'd seen it from Taako for a while now, but it was only now that he connected the dots. He saw it in Lup, so many times, and only noticed Taako was wearing the same look because of their identical faces.

That was the look Lup gave whenever she told Barry she loved him.

Angus and Taako bickered between each other for a bit, but Kravitz wasn't listening. Sure, he knew that Taako loved him, even if he hadn't heard the explicit words yet, but somehow... _seeing_ it made it more real. Taako loved him. Taako _loved_ him. The thought hit him right in the chest, knocking all the breath out of his lungs. He must have looked ridiculous, thinking it over in his head so many times. Angus and Taako stopped fighting to watch him.

"Krav?" Taako had a hand on his shoulder, that same look in his eyes, but mixed with concern now. "You okay, babe?"

"Yes, I'm--I'm alright, I was just--" Kravitz chose his words carefully. He couldn't say it was _nothing,_ or else the Zone of Truth would cause him to admit he'd been comparing his expression to Lup's and fawning over the evidence that Taako _loved_ him. "I would rather not be in this elevator right now." He unbuckled his seat belt and stood up.

"We'll go, then." Taako raised his wand, and then stopped. Kravitz could see the gears turning in his head--that flash of inspiration when he thinks he's had a good idea, but really it's reckless and terrible. "Hey, Kravitz? I lo--"

Before he could finish, Kravitz clamped his hand over Taako's mouth.

"I don't want to hear it because a magic spell made you do it," he said as he pulled Taako close. "I know it's there, Taako. I would rather wait a hundred years to hear it than have it forced out of you right now."

His eyes widened, that look of _love_ melting back in so naturally. Kravitz could feel a slow pulse under his skin, and once he realized Taako wasn't going to say anything more he let go of his mouth. Taako stayed still for a few moments, thinking through a response. His eyes lit up and he leaned in closer to Kravitz, kissing his jaw and whispering, "you're incredible," into the skin.

"I'm right here," Angus said, grimacing.

Taako laughed, pried himself off of Kravitz, and raised his wand again. "Alright, let's get you two out of this hellhole."

Kravitz wasn't sure what spell Taako cast, but one moment he was in the hellevator, and the next he was up at the loading platform with the rest of the group. Angus ran right up to the group, not shaken by the elevator stunt at all. He had planned it, after all. He was already excitedly chatting with Lup about what they should go on next. Kravitz stayed back, taking in fresh, non-elevator air.

"You okay, Ghost Rider?" Lup asked, but didn't bother to walk up to check on him.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Great, then we're going to get out of this dumbass area--we've been here _too long."_ Lup grabbed Angus by the arm and they ran out of the loading zone, Barry and Davenport following behind. Taako didn't let go of Kravitz, but followed behind the whole group.

"Are you alright, love?" Kravitz asked, allowing himself to be dragged across the park.

"M'fine, just--worried." He kept darting his eyes between Kravitz and Angus. "You're good? Didn't get scarred by the elevator?"

"It would take much more than that to scar me."

"Okay, come on, _both of you,"_ Lup said, wheezing and running back to pry Taako off of Kravitz. "There's a fucking-- _haunted house_ in this place!"

Taako glared at her. "So?"

"Wait until you see what it's themed after."

* * *

Lup dragged them to an observatory-shaped building with a telescope at the top. The telescope and all the windows were broken, and fake pink tourmaline crawled outside the building through the windows. Faint crinkling sounds escaped from the inside. A flickering neon sign reading _THE CRYSTAL KINGDOM_   sat right outside, already fading and broken even though it was built recently. 

Taako couldn't stop himself from laughing. "The--fucking-- _bitch-ass nerd,_ he--he fuckin', recreated the crystallized lab!" He straightened his face, but the smile still cracked at the edges. "I'm gonna sue the shit out of him for copyright infringement."

"Well, are we going in?" Lup walked backwards towards the door. "I'd like to relive this adventure with a body, this time."

"Of course we're going in there, I've got to write my legal argument for why he needs to shut it down," Taako said, following Lup close behind.

Lup called out over her shoulder. "Anyone else joining us?"

"Hell no," Davenport said, sitting himself down on a bench.

Angus shook his head. "I'd rather not, I'm pretty sure Hodgepodge is in there."

"Lame!" She turned to Barry, a pleading look in her eyes. _"Barry,_ you better be coming--I need all my boys with me."

Barry laughed and joined her. "I'm not leaving your side again."

"Okay, wow, fuck, _gross."_ Taako waved Kravitz over. "You comin', Tall, Dark, and Handsome?"

Lup dug her heel into Taako's foot, letting him wail in pain. "You _can't_ say Barry and I are gross when you _literally_ take every spare opportunity to flirt with _yours."_

Kravitz must have hesitated for just a moment too long. Taako walked up to him and said, "C'mon, babe, it'll be like a walk down memory lane." He squeezed Kravitz' hand. "I mean, I get if you don't want to, and if that's the case you just say the word, but, I think it'd be fun."

"Oh, I--I have no problem going inside." He followed Taako, Lup, and Barry inside. "I was just...thinking."

"Hm. Dangerous, but go on."

They stepped through the door and were greeted by a room filled with pink tourmaline. Prop null suits hung on the wall, but every other surface and prop was carved out of something that looked like tourmaline. Probably something cheap instead, like quartz.

"This was where we met." Kravitz held onto Taako as they walked through. "Well, not here _exactly,_ but, you have to admit it's strange that there's an attraction based around that night."

Taako snorted. _"That night--_ you make it sound so ominous."

"Well, it changed my life." Nope, wrong, wrong word. "Or--my death."

"Changed mine, too." Taako moved his hand up Kravitz' arm to lock around his shoulder. He barely paid attention to the haunted house. Too distracted. At least Kravitz was _trying_ to look around.

He didn't do a very good job, though, and ended up just as distracted as Taako.

_"Will you two cool it down?"_ Lup asked, trying her hardest to look annoyed at the couple. She wasn't any better; Barry's hands were intertwined with hers and he refused to let go.

"I told you, Lup--this is _revenge._ How many years did I have to watch you and Barold flirt in the common room?"

"It's not like you had to watch me _climb_ Barry!"

"Yeah, 'cause you're twice his fucking height." Taako gestured up towards Kravitz' face. He had to raise his arm to do it, but not too far--still very relaxed. But Taako was always vocal about any labor he had to do, ever. "Look at what _I'm_ dealing with, here!"

"I'm sorry, am I too tall?" Kravitz asked--he knew he shouldn't be worried, Taako's complaints were mostly played up for laughs. But he was an anxious son of a bitch.

"No, you're perfect, I'm _into_ this, Lup's just whining."

Lup and Kravitz both opened their mouths to answer, but Barry cut both of them off. "So, what, we just walk through? This isn't that scary, it's like a mirror funhouse."

"We'll just have to see." Lup walked towards the next room, Barry following behind.

The next room was more of the same; crystals, ambient crinkling music, some ghostly wails. A few conjured ghosts. Robot parts. Failed experiments. Doors and elevators that lead to nowhere. Really, most of the rooms were the same--not enough creativity put into this one. Not scary, just creepy. And since Taako, Lup, and Kravitz had already lived it, they didn't seem to be too affected by it. Taako was more delighted than scared, acted sentimental just to annoy his sister.

In the third room, an animatronic crystal cycled through some crude movements. It spat out some insults in a bad Cockney accent and Taako laughed right in its face.

"Is that--is that sup--supposed to be--" He broke off into a fit, doubled over onto the floor. Kravitz wasn't as amused.

"He made _me_ the villain?!"

Lup shrugged. "Well, yeah, you kind of _were."_

"I wasn't the one raising the dead!" Kravitz let go of Taako and paced around the room, so frustrated that it looked like steam was about to pop out of his ears. "Didn't Lucas steal one of your relics and enslave your friend's family?"

"Uh-huh, he did, but. Like. You were the _villain,"_ Taako said, coming down from his endless laughter. "Lucas was just...stupid, and also an ass. You were purposefully trying to kill us."

"You're the reason Merle doesn't have an arm," Lup added.

Taako shook his head. "No, that was Magnus' fault."

"Right," they all agreed, in unison.

The crystal animatronic kept yapping on for a good few minutes. Taako kept his mouth covered, darting his eyes between Kravitz and fake-Kravitz. Tried too hard not to laugh. Kravitz broke down halfway through the speech and laughed too. The rest of the group visibly relaxed, glad that they could make fun of this horrible thing without hurting his feelings. They stayed to listen to it until it's dialogue cycled back to the beginning, and then got bored.

"Does my work accent really sound that bad?" Kravitz asked as they left the room.

Taako laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Babe, I didn't want to say anything? But yeah. It's terrible. Nobody buys it."

Most of the rooms were more of the same--more elevators (which Taako and Lup bypassed by Blinking past them), more rude depictions of Kravitz, more robots and crystals. The tardigrade room was the only one that even came close to being scary, but Taako wasn't too fond of the medbay, either. He claimed it wasn't for any particular reason, but the little fake pot of soulwood said otherwise.

Not only did the place fail as a haunted house, but it wasn't even accurate. It was skewed heavily in Lucas' favor, and made everyone else look idiotic or evil. The room that held Maureen's robot wasn't as terrifying as it was supposed to be. Out of all of them, it was the most ethereal and beautiful. Like Lucas remembered it fondly, instead of harboring even a little bit of remorse for the terrible experiments he performed. Lucas' lab was also _cleaner_ than the real thing. Not as messy. Taako thought this was hilarious, that he'd want to hide how much of a slob he was to the public. More than anything, the four were downright _bored_ walking through it. It felt more like walking through Lucas' diary than walking through a spooky haunted lab with ghosts inside. They were happy to see the end.

The final room was a long hallway where the crystals gradually disappeared as they walked through it. There was a sapphire "mirror" on the wall--really, it was a window tinted blue. A projection of not-Kravitz played on it, fighting Legion and losing badly.

They stood in front of the blue tinted window, watching the pile of ghosts tear into him.

"They're really beating the shit out of you," Taako said, purposefully allowing his shoulder to brush right under Kravitz'.

"At least _that's_   accurate." Kravitz watched Lup pull Barry out of the lab, flashing a thumbs-up in his direction. He smiled at her and hooked an arm around Taako's waist.

Taako looked up at him, his performer's grin shifting into something softer. "Y'know, blue light looks really good on you." After a moment of, Kravitz noticed Taako's glamour disappear quietly. He smiled--he'd seen the unglamored face whenever they were alone, now. Taako reached up to swipe a thumb over Kravitz' cheekbone. "Really got the complexion for it."

"So do you." Kravitz laid a hand on Taako's cheek. "It reminds me of when--"

"--When I found you again, yeah." Taako pressed his face into the hand. "That's why I like it."

"You were so... _so_   beautiful, I--couldn't believe it, you were--right _there."_

Taako stretched upwards, getting as close as possible. "I'm right _here."_

"I know," Kravitz said, and leaned down the rest of the distance to take Taako in a kiss. Nothing too fierce, just soft and comfortable and familiar. Taako was warmer than he should have been--still cold, considering his condition, but not iced over--which meant his heart had been beating for more than a few minutes. When he pulled away to breathe, he caught Taako staring at him with a satisfied grin. Kravitz wore something similar. "I love you." He'd said it a hundred and fifty four times now, with no intention of stopping.

"I do, too." Taako's good mood dropped once he noticed Kravitz staring. "Somethin' on my face?"

"No nothing, I was just--" Kravitz didn't want to be insensitive by pointing out Taako's lack of glamour, but it might be bad if he ignored it, too. He planted a kiss right between Taako's eyes and asked, "You took it down here? In public?"

Immediately, Taako's face became three shades redder. "Oh, yeah, I uh--I sort of, modified the glamour--" His voice shook, as if he was still unsure if it was okay to be unglamored in front of Kravitz. "When you're--you're the only soul in a room with me, uh, it--it takes itself down--automatically. Because. You said you don't, uh, mind it."

"It's beautiful," he said, placing three tiny kisses on his face to punctuate his point. "You changed an entire spell?"

"Arcane engineer, remember?"

"It's unfair for you to be the smart one _and_ the pretty one." Kravitz laughed, soft and quiet. "Where does that leave me?"

"I dunno, the funny one?" Taako slid his head under Kravitz' chin. "Y'know, 'cause of your voices."

"Not even going to let me be the cool one, aren't you?"

"Yeah, 'cause I'm the cool one." His eyes watched the space behind Kravitz, paranoid. "We should, uh, keep going, or else Lup's gonna think I blew you in a haunted house."

"We can't have that," Kravitz said, grinning and leaning down to press a kiss to his neck.

"I mean, I _would."_  Taako pulled back from the embrace, "But I'll bet my entire ass that Lucas has cameras in here, and I don't want him to get off watching."

"No cameras in the bathroom." It was a tease and a joke, but not something Kravitz would be entirely opposed to.

Taako grinned, playing along. "You don't know that." 

"I suppose I don't." He sighed, offering an arm for Taako to hold. "Would be safest to wait until we got home, right?"

He took the arm happily, and they walked towards the exit together. "Mhmm, but I think I'm gonna have to get some blue lights for the bedroom, like, this is _doing things."_

Kravitz paused for _just_ too long, his breath  _just_ too deep. "It...is." 

"If you have some kind of _colored light_ fetish that you're gonna throw on top of all the dumbass shit we're already into, I'm gonna be real pissed."

"It's not like that!" He looked all around the room, trying to come up with an excuse. "It just reminds me of--"

"I know, I'm messing with you." Taako reached up to plant a quiet little kiss to his cheek. "Let's bounce, I've got a few cease and desist letters to write."

As they approached the exit, Taako's glamour re-applied itself automatically. Kravitz was sad to see his real face leave, but he knew that he'd be able to see it whenever he was alone with Taako. Not that he needed incentive to get some quality Taako time in before. This was just an extra perk. 

They stayed in the park for less than an hour after that, too tired to walk any farther. Angus allowed them all to use the maintenance shaft to get out of the park instead of taking Upsy out. When they rode in the wagon together, Angus fell asleep with his cheek against Kravitz' arm. Davenport had a lovely conversation with him about wine. Lup teased him for taking so long in the haunted house, calling it a "Schrodinger's Blowjob." Barry didn't smell as much like sunscreen, and (thankfully) put on some less revealing pants for the ride back. Taako watched his family interact with Kravitz, absolutely  _delighted_ the whole way back. 

This wasn't the first day he spent with Taako's family, and it wouldn't be the last. But it felt different than the other times he spent with them.

This time, it didn't feel like was an outsider looking in.

Kravitz felt welcomed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me @ me: alright, you've got to stop writing chapters over 6k, this is getting out of hand  
> me, immediately after: i sneezed and 7k works popped out
> 
> i was intending on putting the bonus minigolf chapter in next time, but......honestly, it's very tonally similar to the past two chapters, and i think it would work better after i get the next little emotional arc finished. (read this as: i'm impatient and i want to get back to writing sweet fluff)
> 
> so, next time....the gang takes a trip to the city of Chilladelphia!


	21. A Dusty Ballroom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew celebrates New Year's together for the first time. Kravitz gets irresponsible with alcohol. Also, is that Matt Doyle?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning?? there's a description of a panic attack here, but not from the point of view of the person suffering the attack

Lord Artemis Sterling invited Merle to his winter house in Chilladelphia for a New Year's celebration. Merle being Merle, he invited twenty other people to come with him without even checking with Sterling. Of course, it wasn't necessarily a bad thing for Sterling to have all of the seven birds at his New Year's party. Made the whole thing even more exclusive than it already was. He didn't seem to mind when Merle rolled up with his entire family and then some--in fact, he was able to set them up in one of Chilladelphia's best inns and insisted to pay for their rooms.

Merle and Davenport, distressingly, stayed in Sterling's private home for the duration of the celebration.

Taako covered his ears whenever Lup speculated the exact nature of their relationship.

They only had three days to celebrate in Chilladelphia--New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and a third one to wait for any residual hangovers to dissipate. It was a little silly--Kravitz was responsible enough not to get himself hammered and Taako couldn't get drunk. Sure, a party with Taako's family could get a little crazy, but Kravitz was a normal person! He wasn't going to do anything stupid because of Taako's family! He could handle himself!

_(He, in fact, could not handle himself.)_

Kravitz, temporarily mortal, frantically dressed himself in the bathroom and silently thanked his Goddess for letting him _will_ his conjured body into proper attire whenever he wanted. It took him at least ninety minutes to get everything to look nice--to dress how he'd look on a _normal_ day at work. He'd given up on wearing full three-piece suits about a week and a half into the vacation, letting himself go gradually more and more casual.

But tonight, he had to look nice.

Taako opened the door to the bathroom just as Kravitz was getting his cufflinks on. He leaned on the door frame, beautiful as ever. The no-glamour face was a staple when they were alone, now, and it made Kravitz' heart sing every time he saw it. He looked down to see what Taako was wearing, and--

 _"You're_ wearing a tuxedo?"

"I know, right? But, hey, I thought it'd be nice if we coordinated?" Taako turned around, showing the whole thing off. He could pull anything off, given the chance. "Really, this is the first public function we're attending together, and--and, y'know, people are expecting a lot out of us-- _OH, SHIT_ \--I just got the best idea, hold on--"

His clothes turned to smoke for a moment, and then it disappeared. Nothing changed, except for the colors--black dress shirt, violet suit. The opposite color scheme to what Kravitz had, with his violet shirt and black suit. The amount of color wouldn't work with Kravitz' tastes, but it fit right into Taako's _almost looks hideous, but raw confidence allows him to pull it off_ aesthetic.

"Ah, that does look nice." He walked by to press a quick peck on his lips.

"I know, right? I'm a genius." Taako grabbed him by the arm. "Let's get down to the party, huh?"

Sterling threw his New Year's Eve bash in a large ballroom decorated with more gilding than the Rockport Limited. There was a giant fuck-off clock installed above the grand staircase, and party balls hung from the ceiling, waiting until midnight to be opened. Everyone was dressed like they ate money for breakfast. Servers carried hor d'oeuvres ("horse divorce," Taako said. Kravitz asked, "hor d'oeuvres?" Taako gawked and swore that was the wrong pronunciation, and Kravitz felt embarrassed--he didn't know he was pronouncing it wrong all his life). Kravitz hoped Taako wouldn't try and steal anyone's shoes here, but knowing him, that was a worthless wish. They both scanned the crowd for anyone they knew--Lup and Barry claimed they were already inside.

Taako saw Barry in the crowd, and then immediately wish he didn't. Barry found them too, approaching with his arms wide open. He was wearing... _fucking hell,_ he was wearing a suit made of denim. Denim jacket and dress pants, denim tie. His shirt underneath was made of blue seersucker, because he was trying to murder Taako.

"Do you like my juit?" was the first question out of his mouth, directed straight at Taako because Barry was a master of antagonizing his brother-in-law.

"I hate it," Taako said, but held back a giggle. He couldn't be truly mad at this, it was just so _weird._ "Where did that even _come from?"_

"You're not the only person that studies transmutation, Taako." Barry, disappointed that he didn't get a rise out of Taako, moved on to an easier target. "Kravitz, should I use this as my reaper suit?"

Kravitz leaned down to stage-whisper in Taako's ear, loud enough for Barry to hear, too. "Can you--can you set it on fire for me, dear?"

That must have been the correct answer; seconds later Barry howled with laughter. Lup heard the commotion and draped herself on Barry, watching the three of them lose their shit. She wore the same black number she had on during her and Taako's questionable casino heist a few months back, but with a suit jacket overtop it. It would look nice if the jacket wasn't emblazoned with fire patterns all around.

"What's up over here, nerds?"

"Your husband is a disaster," Kravitz said.

Lup looked Barry up and down. "I have no idea what you mean."

"Don't worry about it, babe, she's too far gone," Taako said, turning his nose up at his sister. "Lup's lookin' like she's Fantasy Guy Fieri over here."

Kravitz leaned forward, squinting at the couple. "Please tell me you're both going to adhere to the Raven Queen's dress code while out on missions."

"Nope," Barry and Lup said, in perfect unison.

Before Taako or Kravitz could respond, Magnus grabbed them both from behind.

"Hey, I found the twins!" He looked out to Lup. "Oh, and Barry!"

"What's up, Magnus?" Lup asked.

"Oh, Captain wants to have a Starblaster meeting before the year runs out." Magnus kept a strong hold on Taako, but relaxed on Kravitz. "Hey, Kravitz, can you stay with Carey and Killian and Angus and Merle's kids? As much as we'd want you there, this is...kind of a crew thing?"

"I'm not offended Magnus, I understand." He let go of Taako, laying a kiss on his forehead before he left. "Have fun with your crew, dear."

But Taako refused to let go.

Kravitz lightly pulled on his arm. "Taako? You need to, um, be with--"

"Oh, right, uh." Taako hesitated, but let go of Kravitz' arm. "Right."

It felt like something was wrong, but Kravitz didn't have a lot of time to ask before he was commandeered by Killian. She lifted him up over her shoulder and ran for the other end of the hall, Kravitz voicing his discomfort the whole way there. Lup walked right over to take Kravitz' place and tugged Taako away, whispering something in his ear. The Starblaster group walked off towards the grand staircase of the ballroom. Killian dumped Kravitz on top of a table with all of the non-crew friends and family.

"Hello again, sir!" Angus smiled up at him.

"You're looking very sharp, Angus." Kravitz crawled off the table and shot a glare at Killian. 

"Thanks! Taako made fun of my outfit." He smiled even wider, knowing that being made fun of was a good sign. "So did Merle." Angus frowned after that one, though.

"He made fun of mine, too," Mavis said, scrunching up the hem of her dress.

"Big words coming from a guy who decided to only wear tuxedo sleeves to a fancy party," Carey said, in mid-wrestle with Mookie.

"You're not even wearing a shirt." Kravitz pointed out.

"Yeah? When was the last time you ever saw a dragonborn wearing a shirt, hotshot?"

"I don't see many dragonborns in my line of work."

"Wow,  _racist,"_ Carey said, but her grin showed no malice.

Of course, Kravitz didn't pick up on her playful tone. "No, I--I meant--not a lot of dragonborns try to--they're not typically necromancers and that's a  _good_ thing--"

"Calm down, dude, I'm fuckin' with you." Carey pat him on the back, way harder than Kravitz thought she could manage. "You know that, right?"

Instead of answering, Kravitz poured himself a glass of wine and threw it back. Killian immediately high-fived him for that. The high-five was so powerful, though, it sent Kravitz back a few steps. His foot caught on something on the floor. When he pulled his leg up to look, there was tape on the bottom on his shoe.

"Why is there tape on the floor?"

Angus adjusted his glasses, happy to give information. "Oh, the three mayors of this town have command over very specific portions of the land."

"Three mayors?"

"They're all brothers." Angus looked down at the tape. "We're in the eldest brother's territory right now."

"That seems extremely petty--" he started to say, but was cut off by a microphone being shoved in his face.

"Uh, 'scuse me, dude--" The man pressed the microphone right in his face. "Are you Matt Doyle?"

"N...no?" Kravitz shoved the microphone out of his face. "Who is Matt Doyle?"

The man cursed and walked away. Two men on the other side of the tape chastised him for thinking that every handsome man was Matt Doyle. The man coughed and wheezed into a nervous laugh, which sounded _eerily_ like Taako's laugh. The three got into a heated argument about Matt Doyle, loud enough that the rest of the guests started watching their fight.

"Those are the mayors." Angus pointed to the men.

"I fear for this city," Kravitz said, and Angus laughed.

A half hour later, Kravitz still sat at the table full of friends, laughing. He enjoyed spending time with these people, even if he didn't know them too well. Kravitz was never well-liked at work, and not many mortals want to become friends with an agent of Death. It was nice to chat with people that didn't fear him, even if he missed Taako a little. Not too much--he knew Taako wasn't far, and he was able to act independently from him. Still, he felt closer to Taako than ever lately, with the glamour going down and his ability to retort an "I love you" with a, _"so do I."_

Soon enough, though, he felt two arms locking around one of his, and when he turned to look, Taako was right on him.

Something was...off. He held on too tightly and most of the color was drained from his face. His eyes weren't focused unless they were looking at the clock, and then they were _too_ focused.

"Are you alright, dear?"

Taako nodded. "Mhmm, 'm good. Just need a minute."

And, sure enough, Taako came back to himself after a few minutes of standing next to Kravitz. He still looked too pale and held on too tight, which meant he was doing a hell of a job acting like he was okay. But Kravitz didn't want to make a scene in the middle of this party, and decided he would ask Taako about it privately.

Until then, he could enjoy the festivities with his boyfriend.

Of course, most of the guests were interested in Kravitz. Taako from TV was on his arm. Kravitz found himself bombarded with questions that were curious, invasive, and jealous all at the same time. Taako did a very good job of covering up Kravitz' job--somehow, this lead him to convince hundreds of people that he was Kravitz' sugar daddy. Which, _okay, weird choice,_ but he was fine with that as his public image. He needed to keep his real job a secret. Wouldn't be great if a lich used Taako or his friends as a hostage. It was a small price to pay--pretend to be Taako's trophy boyfriend to keep him safe.

Kravitz didn't need money, really, but Taako was pretty liberal with gifts. The cello being the biggest one so far, but also the little things. Nice dinners. A few pieces of corporeal clothing. He treasured Taako's company the most, but if Taako liked giving Kravitz a few nice things, why would he deny him that?

Oh, dear, maybe Taako _was_ his for-real sugar daddy.

Merle patted him on the butt and said, "Hey, it's not a bad arrangement," which forced Kravitz to down an entire glass of whisky just to cope.

So much for being responsible. 

If he kept slamming back drinks in one gulp, he probably wouldn't make it until midnight. It was only his second one, but he hadn't eaten anything and _did_ take both of them down in a second. Barry put a dinner roll in his hand and told him to slow down. Taako dropped a glass of water in his other hand. Kravitz didn't want to miss the countdown, so he took their advice and paced himself. He still had two months left, it would be bad to cut his vacation short by dying from alcohol poisoning. He'd wait until after midnight to have anything else, he decided.

Even though Taako wasn't at full capacity, he seemed like he was enjoying himself. He dragged Kravitz to dance with him, laughed when he realized that all the moves had changed since Kravitz was last alive. When someone invited him for a conversation, he dragged Kravitz along too. Really, it was a lot of dragging. Kravitz didn't mind, he liked spending time with Taako, but it felt like an act of desperation. Like Taako thought something bad would happen if he let go. He wasn't normally so clingy, and Kravitz planned to bring it up the second he had a private moment with his boyfriend.

But he didn't get a chance to do that, because Taako was schmoozing every person in this hall. Right now, he sat with one of the mayors--the babyest mayor--and got bombarded with questions about his journey.

"So, like, I'm gonna ask a stupid question--"

"Seems like most of your questions  _are,_ my man, but go ahead." Taako smiled and the rest of the crowd laughed.

"Okay, uh--this is--you were in zero gravity situations, right?" The mayor bounced his leg and leaned in a bit. "So--I guess, when you--when you nut in space, does it push you backwards?"

Taako and Kravitz both wore matching  _are you kidding me, did you really just ask that?_ smiles. And then they both broke, spat out into a spiraling laugh that was only partially alcohol's fault. Taako opened his mouth to answer, but Barry walked by and smiled at the mayor.

"Lup and I tested it once, and yes--when you nut in space, it  _does_ push you backwards," he said, refusing to make any sort of eye contact with Taako, and then walked off.

"Can somebody come and bleach my brain, please?" Taako asked, gripping Kravitz' arm.

The rest of the group laughed, as if they thought that was staged. The mayor wiped tears from his eyes and asked, "How  _did_ you feel about the whole trip?" 

"Not so bad, once you get over the--over the uh, sort of--" Taako's face twisted into something Kravitz hadn't seen before. It turned tense and confused, and Kravitz didn't think Taako could grip onto his arm any tighter but he still managed to. "The, uh, the. The..." And then he froze. 

He stayed frozen even after Kravitz tried to ease him out of whatever mental block he ran into. The mayor and his guests looked concerned, asked what was wrong, but Kravitz didn't pay much attention to them. He figured the best thing to do was to bring Taako out of this situation.

"Excuse us," he said, and then walked Taako away from the whole thing.

Kravitz didn't know what this was, didn't know what to do--hopefully he'd find Lup or Barry. They'd know this best. After a minute of searching, he found Magnus and Merle at the bar together. They turned to wave once they saw the two, but Kravitz didn't waste any time on pleasantries. 

"There's something wrong, and I don't know what."

Merle and Magnus whisked him off somewhere, and Kravitz could only hope that they knew what this was and how to help. If they did, he'd have to ask them what to do next time. He sat down at the bar, feeling a twinge of guilt that he didn't know how to solve this. Lup broke him out of his own thoughts soon enough, when she ran up to the bar and babbled on at the bartender. 

"Two--two shots for--for me an'--" She turned and grinned at Kravitz. "Th-- _this guy."_

The bartender sighed and poured out two weird blue-looking shots. He didn't have time to slide them across the counter before Lup grabbed them. She hooked an arm around Kravitz and steered him away. When he tried to protest, she yelled at him. She shoved him out the door into a rose garden filled with lights. Late enough at night that most were too cold to stand outside, so they were alone.

"Lup--"

"No, hold your horpses, I'm--Lup's got--Lup's sayin' words." She dropped a shot of something in his hands.

"You're drunk." He held onto the shot anyway. She had a matching one in her hands.

"I'm having _fun,"_ she said, and then knocked Kravitz in the chest. "Juss' wanted to talk to my--my fuckin' in-law, that some kinda crime?"

"I'm--I am _not_ your in-law, Lup, I--"

"Not _yet,"_ she giggled, which evolved into a laugh. "I jus'--thankin' you, I'm thankin' you." She raised her shot up in a toast.

Kravitz did the same, only to play along with her. "Are you sure you should be having more?"

"Mine's ju...just Fantasy Gatorade." She shoved her glass in his face so he could sniff it. "Dude at the bar cut me off, an' now, all I get is water 'n Fantasy Gatorade whenever I ask for shots." Lup stamped her foot into the ground. _"FUCK,_ I should'a taken _your_ shot--I told the--dude at the bar that--I was givin' the other shot to someon' else, an', that one's full'a--full'a that _good shit._ Fuck, I should'a switched 'em."

He looked down at his glass. It was also filled with Fantasy Gatorade.

"I'm glad you're being safe." He raised his glass with her again. "What's this a toast to?"

"Didn't--didn't think about that. M-aybe the fact that we're not dyin' this year?" Her face turned serious, and if Kravitz didn't watch her do three shots in a row earlier that night, he might have thought she was sober. She shot down her Fantasy Gatorade and slammed the glass on the ground, shattering it to bits. "Hard to believe."

Kravitz followed her, even going so far to throw his glass on the ground. She cheered when he did it, hugged him too tight. And then, her eyes widened and she ran to a rosebush to vomit in it. Kravitz ran over as quick as he could, pulled her hair back behind her head before anything could get caught in it.

She sat on one of the stone benches once she got everything out, holding her head in her hands.

"Is it on your mind a lot?" he asked, sitting himself down next to her.

"I guess," she said, pouting up at him. "Didn't want to think--think about it, right now, les' not talk about it."

"We don't have to." He pat her on the back, hoping it would come out comforting. "Do you want Barry? Or Taako? I can go get them."

"Don't wanna talk about it, Barry'd--Barry'd worry--" She leaned her head on Kravitz. "Taako'd--he'd want to talk about it."

"He would?" Sure, Taako had been more open about wanting to talk to Kravitz, but he couldn't imagine him being so willing.

"We don't--when he's stubborn, I talk to him, but when 'm stubborn, he talks more--" She sat up, put her head in her hands again. "--but 'm--don't get that bad, a lot."

"You're right. Taako hardly ever wants to talk through that sort of thing." He smiled, not thinking any ill of Taako for it. It was simply something he'd have to work on.

"I 'unno about that..." Lup looked past a rose trellis, eyes trying their hardest to focus.  "Oh, shit, _it's Magnus!"_

Magnus laughed, carrying Merle under his arm from farther in the garden. "We interrupting anything? Merle got out of control with the roses."

Taako popped out from behind Magnus and attached himself to Kravitz again. Like before, he was fidgety and frightened up until he got his arms around Kravitz. Weird.

"She's drunk?" he asked, looking at Lup.

"Very much so. The bartender is only giving her Fantasy Gatorade now."

"Let's get you something to eat, alright?" Merle helped Lup off her seat and walked back inside the venue. "Meet us under the staircase before midnight, alright? We can all count down together."

"Great idea! I'll go tell the others," Magnus said, and ran back inside. Kravitz had the sneaking suspicion that this was some kind of plot to get him and Taako alone.

Not that he was complaining.

Taako's glamour didn't drop while they were in the garden. The way he shaped the spell meant that it would only drop when he was alone in a room with Kravitz--but, "outside" is not a room. Even if the garden was surrounded by trellis fences and completely obscured by the public, it wasn't a room by most definitions. Taako's hand squeezed Kravitz'. A few minutes sitting in the rose garden together and Taako was mostly back to his normal self, but not enough that Kravitz could ignore it.

"You froze up pretty bad back there."

"I just--it was, uh." Taako pinched the bridge of his nose, searching for the right words. "I was gonna tell the, uh, the guy that, that the trip wasn't so bad once you got over the, the whole. Uh. People."

"People?"

"Like, it was--easier to--not think about them. But. Guess I failed that for right now. But I'm fine."

"Are you sure you're alright, love?" Kravitz asked, leaning himself against Taako's side. 

"Yeah, man, just--" Taako stopped. His ears dropped, and he squished his face into Kravitz' shoulder. "Uh, actually--no, I'm not--not doing too well."

"Do you need to go back to the room?" he asked, running a hand through Taako's hair.

"No, it'll pass. I just, uh, I've been. Thinking." He blew out a puff of air. "Another year."

"Yes, that _is_   how New Year's works." Kravitz tried to keep his tone teasing and light, but he knew where this was going.

Taako didn't laugh. "Usually we run at the end of the year."

Kravitz expected this, a bit, but found himself unequipped to handle it. "Lup said the same thing."

"That's why she's shitfaced right now? I should probably talk to her." He squeezed Kravitz' arm. "Later."

"You could go now, I wouldn't mind."

"I would," he said in a rush, and then cursed to himself. "Mind, I mean. I'd mind. I'm. Fuck, this isn't--I'm not. Doing. Good, I'm not doing good."

"What can I do to help?" Kravitz asked, coaxing Taako out of his frantic ramblings.

He didn't think for very long, the solution was just at the tip of his tongue. "Don't leave my side until the year turns."

"Of course." Kravitz moved closer, offering a squeeze to the hand to show that he was solid. "May I ask why?"

"I know it's bullshit, and there's no chance it'll happen, but..." Taako finally turned to look Kravitz in the eyes, desperate. "It sort of, sort of feels like you're going to, uh, disappear."

"I won't."

"I _know,_ I, _fuck,_ I know that on--on a factual--level, but, I also--" Taako let go, instead opting to throw his arms around Kravitz' neck. "It's--more difficult to--uh, p-parse on a, a more--uh. Shit. You know what I mean."

He didn't, really, but he could give his best guess. "It's harder to emotionally process?"

"Exactly!" Taako babbled on. Kravitz could smell the alcohol on him, too, but his undead state made it harder to take him down with drinks. "I know the Hunger is starving out, and I know you're safe, but I--a guy goes a hundred years only--only seeing other people like--they're going to disappear in--when--the year ends and--"

"You have a habit of thinking people are disposable."

"Yeah." Taako thought it over. He must have been aware of his problem, but maybe he hadn't heard it phrased like that. "D'you think I could--break that habit?"

"Give yourself some time to, and I believe you could." Kravitz offered him a smile and an embrace. "Start small."

"I could start with you." Taako allowed himself to fall into his arms, sighing into his neck. "Maybe Ren and Angus too."

"Not your sister?"

"No, the crew--they've always been safe."

"Then I suppose Ren and Angus and I are a good place to start." He kissed Taako softly. "Is there anything I can do to help you along?"

"I think this is a Taako problem." Taako smiled, his fingers cupping the shell of Kravitz' ear. "You help out enough just by...existing? I guess?"

"I think I can manage that. You'll tell me if you need anything more?"

Taako laughed, spoke with the voice he used to gloss over something deeply important. "Unless you want to portal me to therapy, I'm good."

Kravitz stayed still while Taako tried to laugh it away. He waited until Taako stopped before asking, "You're going to therapy?"

"Magnus is. Barry is. I'm--uh, I'm not--I'm doing _better,_ sure, but I think--maybe--I just need a little more?" Taako spoke quietly. He didn't seem _embarrassed_ to admit he needed to go to therapy, but something was worrying him. "That's--that's not a problem, is it? You don't think it's--"

"--Unless what you were about to say was _positive,_ then, no, I don't think so. Whatever you need to heal, I support you." Kravitz kissed him right on the nose, a small affirmation. "I would be glad to take you. Do you want me to sit with you in the waiting room?"

"For--at least the first time, yeah." Taako slid out of Kravitz' arms but still held tightly onto his hand. He tugged him back towards the ballroom. "We should get to the staircase before the countdown starts. You comin' with me?"

Kravitz stood up and walked with him. "I can't come with you, we haven't even taken our clothes off."

Taako let out a snort, giggling into Kravitz' side. "Smartass." There was a pause after that, implied words hanging in the air. Kravitz knew what they were, knew they'd come at some point. But for now, there was only silence and a warm smile. "Let's go."

"Of course," Kravitz said, and they walked back inside together.

* * *

"There you are!" Magnus waved Taako and Kravitz over. "We were worried you wouldn't make it over!"

"Thought you'd get _distracted,"_ Merle said, speaking into his drink.

Taako blew a strand of hair out of his face. "I'm not the one hanging off of four different people, _Merle."_ He dragged Kravitz over and sat next to Barry and Lup. "How drunk is she?"

"Very, I'll take her back to the room after this." Barry rubbed circles into Lup's back. She was barely awake now. He looked up at Kravitz, who grabbed something from the bar on his way over. "How drunk are _you_ trying to get?"

"This is only my third, Barry."

"You still knocked back the others like they were candy." Taako pat him on the back and glared, hoping that would be some deterrent. "I told 'em to drink water in between, but he's stubborn." 

Kravitz, out of sheer spite, knocked back the rest of his glass without any warning. Any sense of responsibility he had was ignored in favor of spite. "I don't have anywhere to be tomorrow."

"Yeah, _anarchy!"_  Lup shouted. She stood up suddenly and wrestled the glass out of Kravitz' hand, shattering it on the floor. Everyone snapped their eyes to her as she pulled Barry's denim pocket square out of his jacket and threw it over the broken glass.

Barry stood up to settle her back down, but she snatched him up before he could do anything. "Lup--"

"Haven't gotten marr--married in _this_ plane, babe, fuckin'--" She crushed the glass under her foot and pulled Barry up into a kiss. "--fuckin' _mazel tov!!"_

Kravitz _lost it,_ laughed so hard he cried. Taako wanted to join in, but it was so close to midnight and he needed to keep his eyes on the clock. They might have taken some time to laugh about the whole thing, but Taako wasn't paying any attention. He ripped his eyes away from the scene one more time to see Kravitz look at him, concerned. Before he could ease his worries, the hall started to count down.

"Ten!"

The giant fuck-of clock felt like it was suffocating the entire hall. It was only a matter of time until the Hunger burst through the doors and windows.

"Nine!"

Taako felt like fleeing, running back to wherever Lucretia kept the Starblaster these days. At the back of his mind he expected the hall and everything in it to disintegrate into nothing. Everything around him felt like it was made of sand, like it would blow away in an instant.

"Eight!"

As if the whole hall was made of dust.

"Seven!"

He held on to what he _knew_ was solid--his sister, still drunk and leaned over Barry. Even with how far gone she was, she noticed Taako's grip and scooted over to his side. His other arm clamped on Kravitz so tight he could have left bruises. He hoped Kravitz was solid, too. Taako felt his eyes go unfocused, the giant clock fuzzed in the background.

"Six!"

It was difficult to hear over the cheering crowd, but Taako saw Kravitz' lips forming a question.

"Five!"

He just answered, "yeah," halfheartedly, unsure of what he was agreeing to.

"Four!"

Kravitz stood stiff, deeply bothered by Taako's answer. Taako didn't wonder what the question was. All his brainpower was focused on watching the clock.

_"Three!"_

The shouts grew louder, each word echoing in Taako's ears louder than before. Like everyone in the room had a Fantasy megaphone to his ear. He stopped seeing faces, only shadows of the people that were in the room minutes ago.

_"Two!"_

He could feel his soul tearing from his body, and knew he would reappear on the deck in a second.

_"One!"_

Everyone shouted as the new year turned, but most were drowned out by the fireworks and beams of light emitting from all the excited wizards, or the tipping chairs and tables from the rowdy fighters, and the celebratory sirens set off by the event coordinators. Confetti dropped from the ceiling and Lup set a good portion of it on fire.

Taako's ears rang, his face and body frozen in time. Afraid to turn around to see what disappeared and what didn't. He expected to turn and see Magnus with a black eye, and see Lucretia twenty years younger, and Merle with his eye and his arm back.

But it stayed solid. The world kept turning.

He still held on to Kravitz' arm.

Kravitz was still there. Angus was a few feet away. Carey and Killian were in the corner sharing a New Year's kiss. Merle's kids were shouting their lungs out. Sterling was swarmed by rich assholes. They were all solid, they didn't disappear, and they were staying here forever and _Kravitz_ was--

Taako grabbed Kravitz by the tie and kissed him.

And the world didn't end.

This plane was here to stay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay i swear, this is probably the last chapter that has any sort of angst in it at all, i just really needed to get this out of the way wHOOPs
> 
> also, please blame avislightwing for any and all sugar daddy jokes i make in this fic
> 
> hey HEY i'm coming at all of you with a semi-consistent update schedule with this one, yaaaay. i'm still trying to get consistent on my other 2 fics, but i have most of the rest of this written already so it's pretty easy to stay consistent with it (for example, next chapter is already haflway done and chapter 24 is done already because i don't know what self control is)
> 
> can you believe there's only 5 chapters of this left?????????? and taako hasn't said the big 3 yet?????????? (have i told ya'll how excited I am for chapter 24?????)


	22. New Year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz tries to nurse his hangover away while Taako lovingly teases him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> content warning: i put these two alone in a hotel room for this chapter, and even though nothing gets explicit, there's definitely some nsfw jokes and words in here. also, it's really long! don't read this late at night!

Kravitz woke up with his head pounding and his body aching.

Past midnight, his memories were hazy and dulled over. He remembered slamming back all his drinks in one gulp just to be contrary. _Stupid._ Maybe if he drank like a _normal person_ his head wouldn't feel so fucked up. He rolled over in bed. A wall of light hit his tired eyes, the feeling so horrible that Kravitz was ready to die right there. The only good thing about this was the _view--_ Taako laid in bed next to him reading some book with an Elvish title that Kravitz couldn't understand. The light caught the edges of his hair in a halo, and _uuuuuuuuuugh, oh shit,_ Kravitz' head hurt so _much._

He could come up with complex metaphors to admire his boyfriend later. Right now, his head pounded any higher-level thoughts out of his brain.

Once he noticed Kravitz woke up, Taako smiled and shut his book. "Mornin', babe."

"...Too bright," Kravitz mumbled, and buried his face into the pillow.

"Think about that next time you decide to be _stupid._ I should bring Lup over so you two can be useless together." He laughed, but not loud. Was he trying to keep quiet so Kravitz' head wouldn't hurt so much? That was--sweet. Kravitz felt a chilled hand on his scalp (helped the pounding a bit), Taako's voice staying low and quiet. "How're you feelin'?"

"Horrible."

"I'll bet. You should'a seen the way you were chuggin' those fuckin' things."

"Whatever," Kravitz said, the room too bright for him to form a proper answer. "Close the curtains?"

Instead of an answer, Kravitz heard the sound of cloth against metal. He tore his face out of the pillow and the room was dark. His head still hurt like hell, but at least he could turn to talk to Taako now.

"Thank you, love." He took a moment to look at Taako, who laid undressed under the covers. A little bit of fear and dread crept through him--not that he would have said no, but he wasn't entirely fond of doing anything when half unconscious. He wanted to _remember_ his intimate moments with Taako. "Did we--"

"Oh, _fuck no,_ you were wasted. I wouldn't pull that shit." Taako frowned. "Would uh--would it be better if I put on some fuckin' pants or somethin'?"

Kravitz relaxed and moved in closer to Taako. "No, I just wanted to make sure." He pressed his head into Taako's pillow and whined. "The cold helped, can you--um, hold my head again?"

Taako took the invitation and cradled Kravitz' face in his hands. "Ugh, you're pullin' my arm here, making me _touch my boyfriend."_

The dull hangover pain turned sharp when he laughed, but it was worth it. Sort of. Actually, no. "This is awful," he said, mostly to himself.

"You mentioned that." Taako reached back to press fingers where neck met skull, and that--that helped. "Hope you feel better before lunch, 'cause we're going out with everyone."

That was bad. He couldn't imagine sitting up straight right now, how was he going to go to lunch with Taako's family? Maybe he'd be fine after a few hours. He didn't want to miss and be rude. "What time is it right now?"

"Good question." Taako shuffled towards the end of the bed and looked at the clock. "Holy shit, it's almost twelve--"

A Magnus-volume knock cut him off, and then a Magnus-volume voice shouted through the door. "Are you two coming?"

Barry's voice came in quieter after him. "Bad-- _bad_ choice of words, Magnus."

Taako snickered and opened his mouth to answer, but took another look at Kravitz and stopped. "Are you, uh--are you okay to, to go with us?"

Kravitz sat up in the bed, but it felt like a sledgehammer slammed him back down on the bed again. He groaned and buried his face in the pillow again. He definitely couldn't do this. "Would they think ill of me if I'm not in the right shape to go?"

"If they did, I'd make them hurt." Taako kissed him between the eyes. Didn't help the physical pain much, but it healed up Kravitz' heart real well. He swung out of bed. "I'm pretty sure Lup'll have to skip, too, it's no biggie. You'll see 'em again before we leave."

"Thank you." Kravitz put a little pressure in between and underneath his eyes. "I think I'll be alright by the afternoon, but this is _dreadful."_

"You should drink some water and go back to sleep." Taako decided to dress and ready himself with magic, just to get out the door quicker. "Lup's two rooms over, if you get lonely. Order somethin' expensive with room service if you get hungry, we're not pickin' up the tab."

Kravitz bowed his head (half as a timid gesture, half because holding his head upright was _a bad idea)_   and smiled shyly up at Taako. "I wouldn't want to inconvenience Lord Sterling, Merle already had us imposing on his party."

Taako shrugged and picked some of his adventuring shit of the floor. He obviously had more to say on the matter, but opted to stay silent and coy. He tied a dagger onto his thigh, wore a skirt so it could be easily retrieved in a fight. Kravitz wondered if he was going to a nice lunch with his family or to defeat a dragon. He always seemed prepared to throw down wherever he went. Kravitz got lost in the memory of Taako showing up to their first post-Hunger date with the Flaming Poisoning Raging Sword of Doom on his back. He got tired of carrying it halfway through and propped it on Kravitz' back, forcing him to lug it around for the rest of the date. Taako coughed, whistled, tapped his foot--snapped him out of the memory. Kravitz looked up at him, knowing he wouldn't say what was on his mind until he gave him his full attention. Taako just smiled and said, "Sterling's the reason I got crushed by a washing machine in Wonderland."

Oh. _Oh,_ so that's how it was. Well, if this was an opportunity to enact revenge for his boyfriend, Kravitz wasn't about to turn it down.

Holding these kinds of grudges might not have been healthy, but Kravitz was always a little spiteful.

He reached on the bedside table for the room service menu. "Then I suppose I'm having lobster for lunch." He cracked it open with a flourish, even if reading the words was difficult with his shitty hangover. "Oh, actually, it seems as if the escargot is more expensive."

"You're gonna eat _snails?"_ Taako sneered, physically repulsed as if the snails were in the room with him right now.

"You used to be a chef, dear."

"Doesn't mean I have to pretend that I like _snails,"_ he said, moving closer to the door. Before he got too far over, though, he pulled the most expensive bottled water out of the Fantasy mini-fridge and set it on the bedside table. "Wash your mouth out real well if you end up ordering that."

"I will." Kravitz smiled, flipping to the back of the booklet, past the alcohol. Nope, he wasn't touching that today. Just the thought of it made his head pound. There _was_ a very attractive picture of a crème brûleé on one of the later pages. "Oh, look at this, they have an expensive dessert menu."

Taako let out a gleeful gasp and looked over Kravitz' shoulder to read the menu. "Holy shit, I am _absolutely_   tearing into that when I get back." Another Magnus-knock rapped on the door, somehow echoing through the entire room. Taako let out an overdramatic sigh and peeled himself off of Kravitz. "Alright, okay, gotta go--can't keep 'em waiting for long."

"Of course not," he said, but still focused on the menu. If Sterling was truly responsible for that nasty scar he'd seen across Taako's legs, Kravitz was going to make him _pay._ "Should we also steal the towels and robes on our way out tomorrow?" Kravitz asked, forcing himself to raise his voice (and ignoring the pounding in his head) so Taako could hear him.

"Krav, you're--you're a fuckin' genius, I love you." Taako grinned wide, speaking too fast for his brain to catch up, barely thinking through his words. "Start scopin' out shit you wanna steal out of here, we can talk shop about it later--oh, _shit,_ I should tell Lup, too, when she's sobered up--" Another knock on the door. "--Okay, okay, I'm _coming,_ hold your fuckin' horses!"

Kravitz should have said something, but his mind was completely wiped of all higher function. Taako, he--did he just-- _what?_ He didn't--he _did,_ Kravitz _heard_ it--he _did_ hear it, right? That wasn't some sort of hallucination? He stared at Taako, eyes wide, breath taken away, jaw dropped. Taako noticed the look on his face and frowned.

"What's that face for?" Taako tilted his head to the side, confused, as if he didn't fling a relationship milestone directly into Kravitz' face. "What do you want, some kinda goodbye kiss?"

"I--" Kravitz' voice raised about five octaves, cracking on every other syllable. "I'm alright."

"Wow, you're really horny for it, aren't'ya? Fine, here--" Taako made a big show of striding the ten feet across the hotel room. He smacked a wet and borderline gross kiss on his cheek _(fuck, could this man do nothing like a normal person?)_   and waved as he backed away towards the door. "See you later, gorgeous, go to sleep."

"Yeah," Kravitz said, his voice still sounding too weak and desperate. He wiped the excess spit off his cheek _(again, did he just do that to piss Kravitz off?)_ and waited for the door to click shut. Once the sound of Taako's footprints disappeared down the hall, Kravitz flopped back down on the bed and groaned.

He probably misheard. Taako hadn't made a big deal of it, so that _couldn't have been--_ could it? Unless Taako meant to slip it in casually into conversation so that Kravitz wouldn't freak out. Kravitz should have reacted to it, or pointed it out. Should have asked if it was intentional. Or maybe he shouldn't have. If Taako was going through so much trouble to say it casually, he might have wanted Kravitz to _not_ react. But why would he drop it casually? He made such a big deal of being able to say the abridged version of the words, Kravitz expected him to go all-out the first time he broke out the real thing.

And that was even if Taako said it in the first place. Kravitz' head was so fogged over, he might have imagined the entire thing. He _must_ have misheard. He had to. If Taako said it and Kravitz didn't react the way he should have...no, he _must_ have imagined it.

But--and Kravitz had trouble ignoring this--it was such a _good_ sound. It was said (imagined) in a half breath, something said  _(imagined)_  in between real words. He couldn't imagine what it would sound like in real life, but the hallucination was perfect. Beautiful. 

He tried not to think on it too much, because then he'd want it too much.

If he wanted it too much, then Taako might pick up on it, and he didn't want that to pressure him into forcing the words out.

Kravitz sat up from the bed, drank the water bottle in a few strong gulps, and passed the _fuck_ out on the bed. Nope, he wasn't dealing with this right now. He'd leave that for later.

At least sleep came easy.

* * *

Taako felt pretty fuckin' good about himself as he went to lunch. It was halfway through the day and the Hunger didn't come. He even checked for the scouts a couple of times when he used Blink, and none of those bitches were there. The rest of the crew had a bit of a spring in their step too--or, at least the crew that wasn't wailing in their rooms hungover. Lup and Davenport were dead to the world, and Lucretia stayed the fuck away from Taako even if she wasn't wasted.

Even though the year had turned and the Hunger definitely wasn't coming, Taako had a bit of trouble connecting with his non-crew friends. Not as much as usual. He was able to tease Angus a little without pushing him back too far, and he had a good laugh with Killian. A good sign. Maybe that meant things would get better soon. Not that Taako was going to go around declaring his love and loyalty to everyone that had it, but it would be nice if he could feel things correctly inside his own head.

Lunch was nice, whatever. Honestly, he wanted to get back to Kravitz and chill. It was slightly easier to connect with him--he wasn't alive, not traditionally, so the fears surrounding him were lessened, just a bit. Not completely, but Taako was at least aware that he loved him. That was a good enough start as any. But he wouldn't be much for conversation right now, so Taako figured it wouldn't hurt to catch up with everyone else. It was good practice.

They stayed at the Fantasy Olive Garden for much longer than what was necessary, and it was half past three by the time he got back to the inn. Taako opened the door to the room slowly, not wanting to make much noise. If Kravitz was still asleep, he didn't want to fuck that up.

But, no, Kravitz sat on the room's combination couch and daybed, reading some nerd book. Nice. Meant that his eyes didn't hurt as much anymore. And the curtains were open, so maybe his head felt a bit better. Taako let the door shut behind him, and the sound was enough for Kravitz to notice this time.

He looked over the back of the couch and smiled brightly. Seemed like he was back at full function. "Welcome back, love."

Taako's heart flipped at the words. He liked that combination. Actually, the whole picture of it looked pretty good: the still half-pajamaed boyfriend, the afternoon light filtering in through the windows, the, "welcome back," that he really hoped would turn into, "welcome home," someday. And, sure, that was a gross goopy romantic thought, but. Fuck it, he was feeling sappy, and Kravitz wasn't the type to go around telling people, so he might as well lean into it while he was in a good mood. Today was a good brain day, he had a right to be affectionate.

"Oh, he's back!" Taako vaulted over the back of the couch, but his ankle tripped on the back cushion so he landed with his back in Kravitz' lap. _Fuckin' Wonderland liches really weren't kidding about losing that dexterity._   Kravitz didn't seem to mind holding him in his lap, though, so Taako stayed there and acted like he _wanted_ to land in his lap. "How's the noggin'?"

"Feeling much better, thank you." Kravitz put his book down and balanced Taako more steadily on his lap. "How was lunch?"

Taako laid his head on the arm of the couch. "Real good, uhh, would'a been better if Magnus didn't--fuckin', grill me half the time." He huffed, draping an arm over his forehead dramatically. "You break down in front of a dude _once_ and it's like-- _yeah, Magnus, you can stop asking if I'm okay, I mean, look at me!"_ Taako reached up to tap Kravitz' cheek. "No, seriously, look at me. You get the cutest look on your face when you do."

Kravitz chuckled. He tried to look more amused than concerned, but he wasn't very good at facial lying. "Well, _are_ you alright? You gave me a bit of a scare last night."

"Whoops," Taako said, forcing a smile. "Didn't mean to."

"Yes, I assumed it wasn't on purpose." It was a bit of a curt response, but Taako could forgive it--Kravitz must have been stressed out thinking about it all day. "I just want to know if you're...okay?"

"I mean, yeah, there's still a bit--a bit of bad shit up there, but..." Taako sat up, wrapped his arms around Kravitz' neck. "I mean, look at this, it's--you're still here, arent'ya?"

"I am." Kravitz' arms came around to hold Taako properly, a natural reaction at this point. "It was frightening to watch, though. What should I do if it happens again?"

Taako blew a raspberry. "I'm in a good mood, I don't want to ruin it with talkin' about that. Ask me later?"

"Of course."

And, fuck him running, Kravitz actually dropped the subject. Taako would never get over how fucking respectful this fool could be.

They fell into a comfortable silence. Taako took some time to remind himself that Kravitz was solid and real by running his hand down his arms, sides, and back. He was real, he was still here, and he wasn't going to leave. Taako hid himself in Kravitz' lap again, like he had done on the night he managed to squeak out the first "I do too." Kravitz wasn't nearly as flustered this time. He leaned back into the couch to make more room for Taako, kissed the top of his head a few times and ran fingers down his back in mindless patterns.

This time, he didn't stay quiet when he buried. "Hey, what were you askin' me about during the countdown?"

"I had a feeling you didn't hear me correctly," Kravitz said, his fingers stilling on Taako's back. "I think I had asked you if you wanted to kiss at midnight."

"Oh." So it wasn't anything super important. That was a relief. Taako peeked his head out of the burrow. "But you got one, right?"

"I think so? The night was fuzzy."

"Do you want another one?" He grinned and tilted his head up.

"Always," Kravitz said, leaning down the rest of the distance to kiss him. Taako scooted up and grinned into it, and _that_ was what he needed. More evidence that the man in front of him was _solid_ and _real_ and _not dust._ Today might have been a good day, but that didn't mean that all his worries were gone. He'd have to work on that further later, but for now he just wanted to be able to feel safe with his boyfriend. It was an easy place to start. Kravitz made it easy.

Taako pulled away and let himself stare for a moment.

"Still can't believe you're real," he said, barely above a whisper. "Well-- _real_ isn't the right word, but--glad that you didn't disappear."

Kravitz offered a soft smile, and then kissed at the start of Taako's jaw, under his ear. "There isn't anything in this or any universe that I would let separate us." His lips dusted down Taako's neck. "Not the Hunger, not even death." He slid Taako's shirt down just a bit to kiss his bare shoulder. He hesitated a little longer than what was normal before finishing with, "I love you."

One hundred and fifty-six.

Taako really wanted to say it back. He thought it in his brain almost constantly lately, and he was surprised it hadn't come out on accident. He hadn't tried to say it this year yet. But now that the year turned and nothing disappeared, maybe he would be able to. Of course, he was saving it for a better moment than sitting on the couch with his still semi-hangovered boyfriend. He had plans to take him to some fancy dinner and try saying it there. But he'd have to see.

"Fuckin' sap," is all he said, not even bothering with his usual "you too."

"You're one to talk." Kravitz kissed him one more time, right on his collarbone. "I can recall a few nights when you were _just_ as bad."

He waggled his finger right in Kravitz' face and _tsked._ "But who was the one who signed the nondisclosure agreement?"

"I suppose I did." Kravitz laughed and straightened his back, coming up at eye level with Taako. "But you know that, right? That you're safe here?"

"Yeah." Taako couldn't stop his shoulders from dropping and he couldn't chase the stupid grin off his face. "Still hasn't sunk in all the way, but...guess there's time for that."

"And you take as much of it as you need."

"Will do." Taako fiddled with the collar of Kravitz' shirt. He could feel him breathing, alive--Taako wasn't sure if he liked that or if he wanted him to go back to being dead. He didn't have as much trouble acting live lately. He _did_   get out of control with the booze earlier. Didn't count, it happened because he was being stubborn and throwing back drinks recklessly. Not because he didn't know how to live. Taako wouldn't admit to him how cute he thought that stubborn streak was, that would only encourage him. Other than the alcohol stunt, he was doing fine. Took him long enough. They had a little less than two months to go until he died again. Taako really wanted to say he loved him before then. He buried his face in Kravitz' neck, thinking it in his head over and over again. Maybe if he _thought_ it enough, then it would be easier to _say_ it? No, that was stupid. It wouldn't just magically happen.

Which meant it was safe to _think_ it all he wanted. _I love you._ Taako kissed him. _I love you._ Taako played with his hair. _I love you._   Taako smiled at him and let himself be openly affectionate for once in his goddamn life. _I love you, I love you, I love you._

Out of nowhere, Kravitz froze. He looked like Taako had just told him he wanted to dabble in necromancy. Or, no, not something so terrifying. There was a bit of fear in his eyes, but it was more shocked and...hopeful?

"So it wasn't my imagination," he said under his breath, and the fear melted away from his face.

"What're you talking about?"

"Sorry, I--" The fear came back full force, mixed in with some embarrassment for good measure. "I--thought I had--are you doing that on purpose?"

"Doing what?"

Kravitz let out a breath, disappointed. He had that look in his eyes that he always got before he tried to brush off something that was important. Before he could try, Taako caught him.

"Hey." Taako squeezed his arm, insistent. "What is it?"

"You--did it earlier, too, before you left for lunch, and--I thought I had imagined it, but--" His complexion shifted a couple tones darker, and he refused to look Taako in the eyes. "Maybe I did imagine it, I'm still not too sure about that. It sounded like you said you loved me."

Taako blinked twice, long and slow and confused. "Out..loud?"

"I can't read your mind, so. Yes, out loud." Kravitz coughed, more to fill the silence between them than to get anything out of his lungs. His voice came back a little too high and raw. "So it wasn't on purpose?"

"No. No, it wasn't it's--well _fuck,_ that's--" Taako slipped out of Kravitz' lap. He didn't usually pace, but his feet moved on their own. He wanted to say it, yes, sure, whatever, but he wanted it to be on his _own_ terms, not because his dumbass brain willed it to happen. Kravitz deserved better than a guy who couldn't keep his own thoughts inside his head, or say what he wanted when he wanted. "Shit, I, uh, sorry that it wasn't--on purpose."

It didn't seem possible for Kravitz to look more sad and disappointed, but there he was. "It's alright," he said, even though he looked very Not Alright. "I can forget it happened, if that would help."

It wouldn't help, and Taako knew that. Kravitz must have been teased out of his mind hearing it the first time with no context, and now he was bracing himself for a scenario where he wouldn't hear it again for a long time. If Taako could say it twice on accident, he could say it once on purpose.

He wanted to say it on purpose.

"I love you," he blurted out, surprised at how easy it passed by his lips. Just because his brain robbed him of clarity for the first two times he said it didn't mean he couldn't take control now. Once he heard his own words in the air, though, that made the whole thing worth it. Brought the stupidest smile to his face. He did it two more times just because he could, but stopped once he realized that Kravitz wasn't smiling or kissing him. He just stared, slack-jawed. Not the reaction he was looking for. Putting the words out in the open felt like Taako set his heart on the table and left it there. It was frightening and vulnerable in a way that he hadn't cared to try on other people in years. Fuck, how did Kravitz do this so often? How was he able to say it so many times without any sort of reassurance? Kravitz hadn't even been silent for that long, not more than a minute, but it felt like hours had gone by.

When he finally spoke up, his voice was quiet and unsure. "You--don't have to say it just to make me feel better."

"I'm not--no, that's--not what I'm doing. I don't do anything I don't want to do, shut up." Taako stopped pacing, looking Kravitz up and down. He was so _nervous._ Taako was too, in a way that he hadn't been before, but he wanted to offer Kravitz a little assurance. "Kravitz, I love you, and...I know I'm--I'll be bad at this, but--I'll, uh, I'll never not mean it when I say it."

"Oh," was all he said, but Taako could still see the panicked edge around him. It wasn't great. Taako expected him to be happy, or surprised, but this wracked his nerves and held a death grip on his heart.

"Is--is this _wrong,_ or something?"

"No! No, of course it isn't, I just--" Kravitz chose his words a little too carefully, afraid of saying anything wrong. "I very much want to make sure you don't feel forced into saying it because you said it on accident a couple of times."

"Listen, on any other day that'd be sweet," Taako said, standing in front of Kravitz' seat, "but I've been _trying_ to get it out for a while now, and--fuck, if it takes an accident to break away the shit in my brain that--that doesn't let me say it out loud, then--I'm taking that as a goddamn win. Because now that block isn't there, and--and I really want to say it while it's still gone." He crossed his arms, a little too defensive, but he needed to get this point across. "I'm going to say I love you, a _lot,_ as much as my shitty brain lets me, because I _want_ to. I'm not being _forced._ I love you."

Taako was afraid Kravitz would come up with yet _another_ excuse not to believe him. He was definitely churning through some higher math as he sat there, hands in his lap. Uncomfortable. This sucked, this _sucked,_ that Taako was finally able to say it and Kravitz didn't _believe him._ Or didn't believe that he was doing it of his own will.

But he didn't think for much longer. Kravitz brought his hand over his mouth and sobbed, eyes turned away from Taako.

"Shit, is that--" Taako sat on the couch again. He didn't touch Kravitz, unsure if that was allowed. Kravitz was _crying,_ and the sight broke Taako's heart. "Is that bad? Was I--not supposed to--to-- _fuck,_ are you okay?"

"I'm--I'm alright, it was just--I--" He smiled, even as he cried his eyes out, and pulled Taako into a tight hug. "I was-- _overjoyed_ when you said it earlier, but when you didn't acknowledge it, I was just-- _so confused,_ and I didn't know what to do--"

"Slow down, babe." Taako wrestled his arms out of Kravitz' death grip and hugged him back. "So, you're good? Right now? You're not, like, mourning the fact that I bared my fuckin' feelings out to you?"

"I've--I've never been more good, Taako. I'm--sorry, I just--I--" He scrubbed his face with his palms, trying to stop the deluge of tears that ran down his cheeks. "H-hold on, give me--a moment, to--to--"

"Sure, sort yourself out." Taako relaxed. Okay. He was happy. Having a good old-fashioned emotion. Taako could deal with that. He figured he could run hands in his hair and wait until he got a good cry out. That was easy enough.

Kravitz stopped openly sobbing after a couple of minutes, but it took longer to pull himself together. He held tight to Taako like he was something precious, and even though his cheeks were wet with tears, he couldn't stop smiling. Taako wiped off some of the tears that fell past his jaw. Mostly a thinly-veiled excuse to touch his face, but Kravitz appreciated it all the same. After ten minutes of quiet, Taako spoke up again.

"You know I'm gonna tell Lup that you cried all over me after I bared my fuckin' heart out to you," he teased.

"I can handle it." He sniffled and wiped under his eyes, laughed fondly. "I have a feeling she would tease you more than me."

"You're way easier to tease," Taako said, wiping off his face with the back of his hand.

Kravitz leaned into his touch, eyes shining. "Yes, but she likes me."

"Fuck, she does, doesn't she? Can't believe you just--got along, like magic." Taako didn't even bother acting coy, he needed to vent out these feelings somehow. He knew he was wearing a dopey grin to match Kravitz', and he didn't care. "I'm not complaining, hell no. Means I get to keep you."

Kravitz smiled and kissed him, quick and soft. The tears that dried on his cheeks were sticky and weird, and it made Kravitz' very attractive face a little less kissable. Which, _bad,_ because Taako wanted to get all up on that face. With a level of self-control Taako didn't know he had, he pulled away and held Kravitz at arms' length.

"This is gross, go wash yourself off." Taako moved off of him and laid himself on the couch.

"Will do." Before he left for the bathroom, Kravitz took in a deep breath and looked towards the ceiling, as if sending off a quick prayer. His grin looked too wide for his face, but it was cute.

"What's the holdup?" Taako sat up, feigning disinterest.

"I--um, I was just thinking about it." He smiled. "Kind of basking in this whole situation, really."

"Listen, it's taking a lot of mental restraint not to say it eighty fuckin' times in a row right now..."  Taako sidled up real close to him and ran a hand down his chest. "But if you go wash off, I'll loosen those restraints a little."

Kravitz was off the couch and in the bathroom in an instant. Taako laughed and fell backwards to lay on the couch, Kravitz' enthusiasm being a joke that he'd never get tired of. Except, it wasn't a joke. It was real, and Taako was just as invested. Today was special now, maybe he'd allow himself to be just as enthusiastic. It wasn't like Kravitz didn't _know_ how into it Taako was. And he needed to get this sap out of his system. Wouldn't do well for his brand if he didn't get a hold of himself before going out in public.

It didn't take long for Kravitz to rush back in, face clean. Taako stayed where he was, laid with his back to the seat of the couch, but did move his legs over Kravitz' so he had space to sit. Kravitz put one hand on Taako's leg and used the other to take one of his hands and lay a kiss to it.

"Eager, isn't he?" Taako teased, but knew he was just as bad.

"I'm--I'm, um--" Kravitz sat down, gathered his thoughts. He pouted, defeated and unable to come up with a good comeback. "I guess so."

"Eager _and_ honest, that's why I love 'ya." Taako only had a moment to brace himself before Kravitz hovered over him, peppering kisses all over his face. "Hey, hey, _hey--_ who said that was an invitation to get all sappy on me?"

"Do you want me to stop?" Kravitz asked, frozen in place with his lips hovered over Taako's neck.

_"No,_ fuck, who told you that?"

Kravitz just glared at him with an amount of malice only a man who had fallen for the same trick a dozen times could muster.

"Kidding!" Taako held up two hands next to his head, "defeated." He blew a raspberry and draped his arms around Kravitz' back, trying to pull him closer. "Okay, no, seriously, you have full agency to admire me in whatever way you please."

Kravitz stayed in place, stubborn, but turned his head to kiss the inside of Taako's elbow. "And what if I don't? You can't _make_ me admire you." Bullshit, because they both knew Kravitz would give up the act in a heartbeat to do exactly as Taako asked. But it was a cute little game they could tease each other with. Usually he'd continue and play along, but Taako wanted to get this train a' rolling.

"Guess I can't, but why don't you stop playing and give me a _real_ kiss, darling, dearest," he paused, wondering how far he should take this tease, _"Love?"_

That seemed to do it. Kravitz could have died right there. But he didn't, and thankfully he leaned over to give Taako exactly what he asked for. It was slow and soft, a physical declaration of love. Their lips came together so naturally now. The feeling of being taken apart by someone who knew him so well was absolute bliss. Kravitz knew that Taako always wanted a hand in his hair or on his ear. That he liked being crowded up against a wall or the back of a couch or the headboard. Kravitz knew every trick in the Taako book, and used as many of them as time could allow. And Taako knew exactly how to do the same to Kravitz. He knew Kravitz preferred less tongue. That he liked being told he was doing a good job. That he liked to put up a bit of a play fight before relinquishing control to Taako.

It was nice when they had first started dating and it was new, but _this--_ kissing the man he loved in a new year that he never thought he'd see-- _that_ was better than anything they had done before. And, sure, Taako had been living in this plane for more than ten years now. But here, in Kravitz' arms and kissing him slow, like they had all the time in the world? That felt like home.

Taako couldn't help but whimper a few _love yous_ into Kravitz' lips, the feeling bubbling up in his chest so much that he needed to let it out. Every time he said it, a bolt of electricity shot through Kravitz and he put more of his good Taako-kissing talents to good use. Later, they could try it hot and quick, but right now? Taako was good with the unhurried pace, allowed to explore every inch of Kravitz' back with his fingers, getting lost in the feeling of it.

Neither of them were sure how much time had passed when they were interrupted by a knock at the door. Or, really, the sound of someone trying to kick down the door. Lup's voice called out from behind it, shouting curses from outside. Kravitz looked at him, unsure of what to do.

"Don't worry about it, I'll talk to her later," he said, and waved his hand dismissively. "I'm itchin' for some Kravitz time. Get back down here."

Kravitz laughed and obliged, sinking back down into their slow pace. Taako closed his eyes, smiling against his lips, but then his stone of Farspeech rang out with a familiar tone.

"Taako, open the _fucking_ door," Lup's voice hissed through. "Barry said you got back from lunch, like, half an hour ago, what gives? Is someone dying in there?"

"Don't answer it," Taako whispered. He pulled Kravitz' head back town to continue his work, but Lup's voice came through the stone even louder.

"I can _hear you!"_

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'm _busy."_  Taako turned his head to speak to the stone, but held Kravitz against his chest. "Also I thought you were still shitfaced."

"I got better. Look, Taako, I haven't seen you since _last year,_ and, forgive me if I wanted to talk to you in person." She sighed, some of the edge seeping away from her voice. "You better have a pretty good reason for not visiting your dearest sister after her hangover went away."

Kravitz coughed and spoke to the stone. "Hello, Lup."

"Oh, _fuck,_ are you not decent?" She laughed. "Gross."

Taako groaned and reached for the stone, holding it between him and Kravitz. "I have _clothes_ on!"

"How many?"

"You know. An amount." Taako winked and stuck his tongue out, more of a show for Kravitz than anything else.

Kravitz rolled his eyes. "He has all of them on." 

"What a gentleman," Lup said. "Are you still hung over?"

"No, I'm doing much better, thank you." Kravitz reached out to take the stone from Taako, but he snatched it away. Taako put his hand over the stone so Lup couldn't hear.

"You are _not_ getting distracted from admiring me to talk to my _fucking_ sister." 

Kravitz put his hand over Taako's, both of them holding the stone. "She seems very upset, love, maybe you should let her in for a few minutes to calm her down?"

"I'll meet up with her later, c'mon, we were just getting to that good shit." Taako moved his hand off the stone, taking Kravitz' in his. He raised the stone up to speak into it. "Come back in an hour?"

They could _hear_ her smiling through the stone. "Why not now?"

"It's private, get off my fucking case."

"Give me one good reason and I will." Fuck, he hated when she teased like this. He knew she wouldn't get off his case if he didn't give her _something._

He had been able to admit he was in love with Kravitz in front of Lup a few times, but he wasn't sure if that extended to telling Kravitz he loved him _while_ she listened. He knew he wouldn't be able to do it in public, ever, that wasn't in the brand. But Lup was fine, she'd already heard it.

"Hey, Kravitz, I love you," he said, surprised at how calm and casual it sounded. Kravitz, still not used to hearing it yet, smiled and melted from the words.

There was a bit of silence on the other end as Lup decided how far she wanted to tease him, or how many questions she could ask. She let him off with a simple, "understandable, have a good day," and hung up. Taako would thank her for her mercy later, but wasn't looking forward to the interrogation she would put him through. He threw the stone back onto the coffee table and wrapped his arms back around Kravitz.

"Sorry," he said, pulling Kravitz close, "she's probably worried about the new year too."

Kravitz pressed his forehead to Taako's. "You can go to her, if you'd like."

"I'll see her in an hour. I want to be with you right now."

"I just don't want to intrude--"

"Let me have this?" Taako kicked himself for how small that sounded. There really wasn't any way he could go back to his regular bullshit with Kravitz, now that he knew how head over heels he was. "I know I--couldn't say it like I was planning, the first time, but this is--nice."

"It is." Kravitz smiled and held him closer. "Would you like to get back into it?"

Instead of answering, Taako shoved Kravitz off of him. He fell with his back to the arm of the couch and Taako chased him down. He straddled Kravitz and grinned at him with a glint in his eye. But when Kravitz pulled him down and kissed him, it was soft, back to their slow pace from before. And, goddamn if that wasn't exactly what Taako wanted right then. Except, now that Lup's voice was in his brain, it wasn't as great. Very big turn-off to be thinking about his sister during this. And, naturally, after he thought about his sister his mind drifted to thinking about what a _big deal_ this was now. The fact that he just _dropped_ an "I love you" so casually hadn't hit him before, but now it was all he could think about. His head swimming with thoughts and fears wasn't very conducive to a good makeout session, and Taako found himself holding back without thinking.

Kravitz noticed his hesitation and pulled back, always so _good_ and _nice._ He didn't even have to ask if something was wrong, the concern on his face did that for him.

"This isn't working, I'm thinking too much now," Taako explained. "Lup threw me off my game."

"It seemed so." Kravitz played with Taako's hair as they spoke, a comfort that Taako greatly appreciated. "What's on your mind?

"I don't...I uh, I actually don't know how to _act_ now that I--" He steadied himself, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. He laid his head down on Kravitz' chest, listening to his heartbeat. "Now that _we--_ uh--we've both. Said it. Like, I love you, I know that, but I don't know what comes next."

"You...don't have to act any differently, Taako." One of his hands drifted up Taako's spine, absentmindedly touching whatever his hands could reach. "Nothing changes, except now I may be even more insufferably affectionate."

"Fucking impossible." Taako laughed, a little too proud of his own dig. But then his thoughts came creeping back up, and the laugh went away. Why'd he have to be so fucking insecure when he _finally_ got the words out? "I guess--I don't know how--I haven't done this before."

"You've had other partners before, haven't you?" Kravitz asked, calm and patient.

"I haven't loved anyone of them." Already hit with a bout of emotional exhaustion, Taako rested his full weight on top of Kravitz, laying on him like he was a living mattress. "I haven't--been in love before. Romantically. Not counting family, or whatever."

"I had assumed in your travels, you would have--"

"Only the crew mattered. Everyone else didn't." He squished his cheek into Kravitz' chest. "And before the Starblaster, nobody I was with stayed for very long." He buried his face, embarrassed. "I don't know what I'm doing," he admitted.

"Oh." Kravitz held both his arms around Taako, bringing him close. "If it helps, I haven't either. Been in love."

He raised his face back up, always ready to tease. "Not the dude with the ice skates?"

"I thought I had been madly in love with him at the time," Kravitz said, laying a hand over Taako's, "but having this proves that wrong. It was just a crush. This is worlds different." He smiled, not even flustered by the question at all. Boo. No fun. "I love you."

Okay, maybe it was fine if he wasn't flustered. The confidence in his affection was a lot more attractive. Nice and stable.

"I love you too." Taako moved to kiss Kravitz, quick and soft, before his thoughts came back to haunt him again. "So what do we do?"

"What we've always done?" Kravitz smiled at him, held his cheek in his palm, his thumb drifting in a soft pattern over Taako's face. "Nothing has to change."

"You sure about that?" He hated how insecure he sounded, but that didn't matter because he needed an answer. "I mean, uh, this is a lot more serious now, uh--now that I've said it."

"But you've felt it for a while," Kravitz said, "doesn't mean we're any more or less serious now that it's out in the open."

"You're absolutely sure?" Taako might have been too proud to admit it out loud, but the constant reassurance from Kravitz helped. "Because, I'm gonna be honest with you, saying it out loud? It's a big fucking deal. It's--fuck, it's like I'm naked in front of you."

Kravitz chuckled. "That wouldn't be new."

"You know that's not what I mean," Taako said, trying his best to speak through his own giggling.

"I know." Kravitz stopped laughing, looking Taako in the eyes. "Is it a bad feeling? Would you want to slow down?"

Taako wasn't sure if he should tell the truth, because that would pull back his carefully crafted curtain of aloof disinterest. Except, that fell away right after the first muttering of "I do too." Fine, fuck it, no going back. "No, I--I trust you with it. I know you wouldn't pull any sort of bad shit on me."

"Thank you, Taako, but if it makes you uncomfortable--"

"It's uncomfortable because I'm not used to it, give me--I'll--" Taako groaned. He wasn't sure how he could get it into Kravitz' brain that he _wanted_ to do this, wanted to have _someone_ he could be open to. Not just his sister, not just the crew. Kravitz was a great place to start. Taako remembered all the times Kravitz had told him he loved him, made him feel safe and wanted. He wondered how it felt for Kravitz to open his heart when Taako hadn't been pulling his weight in return. "Did it feel weird when you started saying it?"

"I guess it was, a little bit." Kravitz looked away, embarrassed.

"And now listen to you, you breathe and it comes out." Taako nudged his head in the crook of Kravitz' neck. "It'll be fine. I'm just--not _used_ to being--being open. And--if I'm gonna, do it in front of anyone, it might as well be you because--you're safe."

Kravitz watched him, scanning his face to make sure this wasn't a lie. Fair enough, Taako had said a lot of shit before to save face, but right now he was completely honest. Completely vulnerable. It definitely wasn't something he did often. There were a few conversations he had with Lup that he had to stay open for, but it wasn't an everyday thing for him.

It probably wasn't healthy to stay cut off all the time.

He wasn't about to drop his brand, though, and the public didn't need to see the mess behind the mask. Taako wasn't even sure if he had it in him to drop the act in public. He didn't want to. He'd keep his private thoughts to himself, thank you very much. At the same time, though, it'd sure be nice if he could relax in private. Not that he was any different of a person than he was in public, but the world didn't want to hear about his insecurities or how lonely he could get. That wasn't _fun,_ and it certainly wasn't anything he'd want to go off telling strangers on the street. That was shit reserved for his sister and _sometimes_ Barry. And now Kravitz.

And if Kravitz knew Taako played himself up for theatrics outside of the home, was there really any use in keeping the act around him? Taako already morphed an entire spell so that his glamour would be dropped in front of him. There wasn't any point to hiding shit from him, and Taako was looking to expand the trust sphere just a little bit. Not too much.

"I love you," he said, as soon as the thought passed into his head.

"I love you too." Kravitz held him tight. He must have passed his insight check, the fear that he was pushing Taako into a confession long gone. "It--it sounds so wonderful in your voice."

"Had you been imagining it?" He grinned, getting up so close in Kravitz' face their noses almost touched.

"A little." He couldn't look Taako in the eye as he answered. Must have been a lie. Taako glared at him until he amended his answer. "A lot."

Normally, Taako should have laughed at him and teased him for that. But he felt a little mercy today. "Is it better or worse than you imagined?"

"Be--better, so much better." He kissed Taako four times on the face, laughing with him. Taako wondered if he should tease him for the eagerness in his voice, but didn't have the heart to do it right now. It was nice to love and be loved in return, and Taako figured that it wouldn't hurt to bask in that feeling while it was still new. He could tease the shit out of Kravitz later. And he would. Definitely.

But now, they could have a slow afternoon together, get lost in each other.

"Hey," he said, running hands down his shoulders, "how many times have I said it so far?"

"Sixteen," he answered, not even having to think about it. "Why?"

"That's more than I thought..." Taako pulled himself off of Kravitz, counting to himself. "I think you said it five times today...so that's eleven."

Kravitz sat up with him. "Eleven what?"

"Shut up, I'm doing math." He clicked his tongue as he counted down. Good thing he learned math in _this_ plane--it was pretty identical to his home plane, so it came naturally. Didn't mean he liked it, though. "A hundred and fifty-six...and eleven..."

Kravitz laughed, moving some hair behind Taako's ear. "This must be very serious if you're doing _math."_

"It is!" Taako counted on his fingers just for show, even though he figured it out in his head already. "I've got to say it a hundred and forty five more times."

"Why?"

"To catch up!" Taako tapped Kravitz' leg and planted another weird, wet kiss to his cheek. "I told you, that's why I was fuckin' counting in the first place."

Kravitz' entire face scrunched up. He wiped off his face, unsure if he should scold Taako for doing that _again._ He didn't, though, and only answered with, "don't feel pressured to."

"You saying you wouldn't want to hear it a hundred and forty times?"

"I--wouldn't be opposed to hearing it." He smiled, big and wide and soft and beautiful. "I just don't--"

"--want to make me uncomfortable, yeah, I get it, and _fuck that."_ Taako held Kravitz' face in his hands and made a big show of it. "Doing this 'cause I want to. And because you have the cutest face when I say it. I love you."

One hundred and forty four.

Kravitz squirmed in his grasp a bit. "Taako--"

"I love you," he said, refusing to hear any of his complaints.

One hundred and forty three.

Kravitz' eyes widened. "This isn't--"

"I love you," he said, again, just to shut him up.

One hundred and for--

"I love you too," Kravitz said, adding back to the count.

Taako hit him lightly on the arm. "Oh, boo, then it doesn't count anymore! Let me catch up!"

"You're really trying to make it even?"

"I don't like being in debt," he said, hoping his coy tone would key Kravitz in on the little game he was playing.

"You're not it debt, you don't need to make up for the previous ones you missed." Of course he didn't read that. Great.

"Okay, listen." Taako frowned and spoke slow and forceful. Really had to hammer this in Kravitz' head. "Don't know how many times I have to say this before it gets into your bony skull, but Taako doesn't do anything he doesn't want to. Especially not around you. I'll tell you if it's too much, I'll whine insufferably if I'm even a _little_ bit uncomfortable." He took a moment and kissed him, not weird and wet like before, a normal kiss. "I'm catching up and getting even because I want to, and I think it would be fun, and it might help get me more used to it, so just _let_ me, okay?"

Kravitz seemed as if he was going to argue. Taako stared him down until he smiled, and then kissed Taako softly. "If you really mean it, Taako."

"I do." Taako kissed him again. "I love you."

One hundred and forty-two.

"Yeah," Kravitz said, holding back a laugh and grinning--that was the borderline rude response Taako used to give to the words, when he didn't know how else to answer. 

"You think you're funny, don't you?"

He batted his eyelashes, trying to act as innocent as possible. "How else am I supposed to let you catch up?"

"Point taken." Taako looked at his stone of Farspeech, wondering if he'd get another angry call from Lup soon, or if she felt like letting him off the hook. "I was thinkin' of taking you into bed and blowing your fucking mind, but, I have a feeling that as soon as we'd get into it Lup'd interrupt us." He leaned in closer and laid a teasing hand on Kravitz' thigh. "Unless you don't mind taking that risk."

"I actually do mind, I don't want to get caught in the middle." He smiled shyly, and kissed Taako as a consolation. "I have an idea."

"Lay it on me."

"I think we should plan on what outrageously expensive room service dinner we're going to order."

"No snails," Taako said.

"No snails." He laughed. "After that you can pop in and visit Lup--"

"She'll want to see you too," Taako added.

"Then we should both go. We could talk to her about what sorts of things we're stealing from this hotel." Kravitz moved his arms around Taako's waist and pulled him close. "We'll tear into the dessert menu that you were so interested in, and then I can carry you to bed so we can make love without worrying about getting interrupted."

"Make love," Taako said, trying to find _some_ flaw in this perfect plan Kravitz dropped in his lap. "Who calls it that?"

Kravitz puffed out his chest a bit. "I do."

"Never heard that out of you _before."_

"Because--I don't know, I think it's in a different category than what we normally do?" Kravitz ran his hands up Taako's sides, pressed their foreheads together. "I'd like to take it slow. Treasure every moment with you. Lay a kiss on every inch of your body, give every bit of myself to you." He wasn't saying anything extremely dirty, but Taako was a  _big fan_ of that look in his eyes. "...and see how many times you'd say it again just to have more."

"Nerd," Taako said, even though his cheeks and the tips of his ears were slowly reddening. "Sap," he added, even though he very much wanted Kravitz to fulfill all his promises  _right now._ "Why?"

"I don't know about you, but I'm feeling very sentimental today." He reached for Taako's hand and kissed the back of it, just--a goddamn gentleman, even when he was talking about sex. Even more so when it was about sex. "Would you let me?"

"Yes." Taako refused to dwell on how desperate he sounded there. "Good plan. Yes to all of that."

"So," Kravitz said, reaching over to grab the room service booklet. He cracked it open, holding it in between him and Taako. "No snails, but I think you'll find something you like on here."

"We'll see about that." Taako took the book out of Kravitz' hands. "Cha'boy's got a discerning eye."

"I've seen you pour vinegar into an avocado and eat it right in front of me."

"I know, I'm a visionary." Taako stuck his tongue out. 

Kravitz grabbed onto his tongue with his fingers. 

"Wha-- _the fuh--"_   Taako reeled back until his tongue was out of Kravtiz' grasp. "What the fuck was  _that_ for?"

"That's what you get for sticking it out unnecessarily," Kravitz said, nose in the air. 

"You're horrible," is what Taako said, but he loved it when Kravitz mustered up the courage to be snarky. "I love you," he added, because he could.

One hundred and forty-one.

Kravitz didn't say it back, allowing Taako to use it in his count. He showed his love by taking Taako in another long, languid kiss. 

It took them a long time to order dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :) :) :) 
> 
> I know i hyped up chapter 24, but that was a DISTRACTION! THIS was the "i love you" chapter! hahah! (i mean. it's a good chapter. it's all written and i love it)
> 
> I figured I should post this now, because I'll be traveling tomorrow and Sunday!! also, i might not be able to respond to messages until I get back! but feel free to scream in the comments because i WILL see them and i WILL scream back when I return
> 
> next chapter is the minigolf chapter that i've been putting off for 2 chapters!!


	23. Stop Being Gross (bonus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a day out with the family, cheating at minigolf.

"What do you mean, you've never played?" Barry asked, sitting on a bench overlooking the minigolf greens.

"Well...when I was alive, this was more of a rich man's sport." Kravitz poked at the rack of golf clubs on the wall next to Barry. He studied them as if they were the crown jewels. "I was fairly well-off, but not enough to play _golf_ or _croquet."_  

"It's kind of a cheap game, now."

"I...can see." Kravitz turned his attention away from the clubs to look at the rest of the shop. The ticket counter was falling apart. The paint chipped at the corners, and there was probably mold or asbestos hiding in ceiling. Everything they sold was tacky and cheap. Kravitz checked the bench for dirt before sitting down next to Barry. He took another look at Barry and grimaced. "Sunscreen again?"

Barry shrugged. "It's necessary. I burn easy."

"And the _jorts_ are also necessary?" Kravitz asked, unimpressed.

"Taako isn't the only one with a brand." Barry grinned and ran a hand down his leg. _Nice,_ this bothered Kravitz as much as it bothered Taako. He filed that information away for later.

Taako and Lup stood at the ticket counter, bickering over which side of the minigolf venue they wanted to play. Both sides were functionally identical, and it shouldn't have mattered which one, but the twins enjoyed being contrary. The only big difference was how they were decorated. One had all their greens carved into a false mountain that looked like a rock gnome encampment. The other was in a little botanical garden shaped to look like a gnomish illusion forest. The mountain holes ran parallel to the forest ones, but on a higher level. Lup liked the mountain's height, but Taako wanted to keep his feet on the ground. Lup got frustrated with the argument and scurried over to the bench to talk to Barry and Kravitz.

"Mountain or forest?" she asked, hands on her hips.

"Mountain," Barry said, just as Kravitz squeaked out, "forest."

Lup scrunched up her face at Kravitz.

He lowered his head, embarrassed. "I--um--I'm afraid I'll drop the ball off the mountain. I don't know how to do this."

Barry looked past the entrance gate at the greens. "Looks like the mountain one runs right next to the garden one, why don't we split up?" He stood up, looked past the gate and pointed at one of the holes. He was right. The flags were in the same places, and all the greens were the same. Only difference was the decorations. "We'd still be together on the same holes, but Lup and I would be higher up."

"You just want to be _alone_ with me, don't you?" Lup teased, smiling.

"Just trying to find a solution that works for everyone," he said, "but I'd never pass down the opportunity."

"Stop being gross!" Taako yelled from the counter, apparently having a sixth sense for Barry's flirting.

"You're just as bad!" Lup called back out at him. Taako turned away, acting disinterested in the whole thing, but Barry saw his ears twitching. Lup smiled at Barry, leaning down to kiss him quickly. "Okay, we'll split. We'll still be able to tease the two of 'em from on top of the mountain." She winked and ran back over to the counter. Lup whispered something at Taako, and he stepped on her foot in response. Barry sat back down on the bench and waited for them to sort everything out.

It took them a couple minutes to finish conning the cashier into giving them a friends and family discount. They both walked back to the boyfriend bench with clubs in their arms. Lup dropped a club in Kravitz' lap. He stared down at it blankly, gripping it like it was a baseball bat.

"How do I hold this?"

"Oh, this is gonna be _good."_ Taako grinned and shoved everything he carried into Barry's arms. He pulled Kravitz up from his seat and sidled up behind him, guiding Kravitz' hands to the club to teach him how to hold and swing. Lup shielded Barry's eyes as if this was some scandalous affair. Barry couldn't be fooled, though; he saw the magic Taako was funneling into Kravitz' club. It was going to be _that_ kind of game, then.

Lup handed a club to Barry. She smiled that too-wide smile she'd always get when she tried to pull one over on him. He'd known her long enough not to fall for that. He felt some kind of spell radiating off of his club. Barry made a mental note to dispel whatever spell she put on it before the game started.

"Hey, I've got an idea," Lup said with that mischievous tilt in her voice, "why don't we make this a contest?"

Oh,  _great._ That was her angle.

"How can we do this as a contest if I don't even know how to play?" Kravitz asked, practicing his club swing as Taako kept holding him from behind.

"It's not hard to pick up," Taako said, already in on whatever con Lup was trying to set up. He held Kravitz a little tighter and smiled into his ear, whispering, "I think you could do it."

"Alright, then what's the harm?" Kravitz fixed his posture a little straighter and immediately turned his opinion on the whole matter. Barry had to stop himself from laughing at how transparent this man was. Not that he was any better with Lup, but. Still funny to see it in someone else. "I like a good gamble," he said, desperate for any sort of reasoning to prove that Taako did not just steer him into a bet.

"It's not gambling if it's a game of skill," Barry pointed out.

"It _is_ gambling if I don't know the game and I have to figure it out as I go."

"Awesome! Great! That's settled," Lup clapped her hands together once, a show of force. "What kind of stakes do you all want to bid on? Money? Favors?"

"Gotta be favors, this one doesn't have _any_ money." Taako stood on his toes and kissed Kravitz' cheek from behind. "Whoever wins gets a favor from all the losers?"

Barry raised his hand. "I think the losers should choose what the favors are, so that the winner doesn't ask for something completely ridiculous." Barry had learned to negotiate these sorts of things through experience. He had fallen into that trap with the twins before, and was not going to make that same mistake again.

Taako rolled his eyes, annoyed that Barry made the stakes less fun for him. "I'll teach 'ya the game as we go, babe, but you should pick a ball first." He dragged Kravitz over to the rack of balls, all in different colors. He went on and on about how it was important to pick one that was colorful so that it would be easy to find if it fell out of bounds, and slapped Kravitz' hand when it went for a black one. Taako reached for a purple one and bit down on it. Kravitz looked torn between scolding him for trying to eat the golf ball and asking if it was customary for him to eat _his,_ too.

In a second, Taako had him convinced that he needed to bite his golf ball to determine it's authenticity. _Like checking if a gold coin is real._

"They're cute," Lup said absently under her breath.

"Yeah." Barry wrapped an arm around her waist. "Remember when we were fooling around in the labs in secret?"

"That was fun." She smiled, squeezing his shoulder. Looked like she was remembering it a little too vividly. "I never thought you'd be so...uh, _fun._ Didn't mind being proven wrong, though."

Barry laughed. "Fun enough for you not to sabotage me during the game?"

"Nothing's that fun." Lup wrestled herself out of his grasp, winking. "Except for sabotage. That's fun."

"Are you up against Taako, too?" he asked, wanting to know the exact scope of their horrible plan.

"Oh, yeah, _natch."_ Lup grinned and pulled a wand out from under her sleeve. "I'll be casting shit on them from above, why do you think I wanted to be on the mountain?"

"Not on mine?"

"I know you're already planning on cleaning the magic off your club." Lup dispelled the spell she had put on his club earlier, as sort of an olive branch. "But a girl can dream, can't she?"

Barry didn't say much in response. He watched as Kravitz tried to fit a red golf ball in between his teeth. How could one person be so gullible? "Maybe I should play along." He rarely got in on the twins' bullshit, but when he did, it was always worth it.

Lup grinned, a hopeful shine in her eyes. "Would you want to?"

Barry only smiled in return. He walked up to the ball rack and ran into Taako, dislodging the ball out from between his teeth. Barry picked it up off the floor, whispered a spell back into it, and handed it to Taako.

"Thanks," he said, distracted. He immediately turned back to speak to Kravitz. "So, uh, first thing you need to know about minigolf? The, uh, the person with the highest number of strokes at the end wins. So you want, you want to, uh, try and take as long as possible to get the ball in the hole..."

Barry turned around and flashed a thumbs-up to Lup. Bingo.

* * *

The game was _not_ going according to Lup's plan.

It was going so much better.

Somewhere along the way, Kravitz figured out that the three were putting charms and curses on his club and ball as he played. He also noticed that Taako was adding on strokes to the scorecard under his name. But Taako did such a good job convincing him that the higher score wins, he assumed their curses were failing and didn't correct Taako when he put the wrong scores down. But the best part? In return, Kravitz some horribly obvious spells (wait, hold on, was he a _bard?)_ to try and curse Taako and Lup's clubs. Two problems with this: one, his magic was kind of terrible, since he didn't have his goddess' help. And two? His curses were working in _their_ favor. Their balls suddenly phased through obstacles and the seventh hole sucked in golf balls magnetically.

Lup did the math in her head.

Kravitz' competitive streak, plus false information, plus his shitty, non-goddess magic?

That's an equation for hilarity, baby.

And Lup got to watch it all from above.

It was nice to be on the mountain watching the whole thing go by. It gave her an advantage over her ongoing sabotage fight with Taako (of course they didn't drop it just because Kravitz was unwittingly helping them now), but it was genuinely a nice little venue. The forest below looked tacky, but climbing the rugged mountainous section reminded her of the extended trips in the wilderness on the unpopulated cycles.

Barry was next to her the whole time, too, which never hurt.

She and Barry gave up on trying to curse each other long ago. It didn't work, both were too suspicious to fall for anything. Barry dispelled any magic on his ball and club before each swing. So did Lup. They played semi-normally together, watching the forest shitshow starring Kravitz and Taako down below. Barry was even nice enough to help Lup out of a tricky aiming curse Taako threw at her midway through.

Not that she was paying attention to the game anymore. Lup hadn't looked at the scorecard on the past three holes. Barry was keeping track of that shit. He was the one that enchanted the card to keep track of the score without writing it down manually, so that her and Taako didn't have to keep throwing up the same card whenever they had to write down each other's scores. They threw it down to Kravitz and Taako a little ways through, because Lup didn't need to know who was winning.

Did it even matter who won when the process of the game was so much fun?

Or, at least, that's what she thought for the first half of the game. They were waiting for Kravitz to finish the ninth hole (he was stalling with his strokes, still convinced the higher score was a good thing) when Barry looped his arms around her waist from behind and laid his chin on her shoulder.

"Hi," she said, turning her head to look at him.

"Hey." He stayed quiet for a while, both of them watching the two below in silence. But then, Barry pressed his lips up against her ear and whispered. "You know, if you win, I have a very _specific_ favor in mind for you."

"You do?" Lup asked, trying to keep her tone as innocent as possible. "What is it?"

"You'll have to win and find out, won't you?" Barry lowered his voice, and Lup knew what it meant--she'd heard it so many times before, and could never get tired of it.

"Sounds _fun,"_ she said, matching his tone and giggling. "Tell me more?"

"I don't want to ruin the surprise." He let go of her and walked away from the side of the mountain, towards the next hole. Suddenly, the jorts looked a little too tight on him. Everything about the way he moved was a tease, and she knew he was doing it on purpose. Not that she was complaining.

"A hint? Come on."

Barry thought on it for a few moments, but just as he was about to open his mouth to answer--

 _"Gross!"_  Taako yelled from below, and yep, he definitely had a sixth sense for Barry's flirting. Barry threw his hands up in the air, baffled that Taako interrupted him _while he was on top of a fake mountain._

But, whatever, Lup wasn't paying attention to that at all. Now it was time to find a strategy to win this game in the back half. She knew that tone in Barry's voice, and needed to know what he had in mind. Sure, if she lost and asked nice enough, he'd probably do it anyway. But where was the fun in that? It was much better if she _won_ it.

And, besides, if she _won,_ she'd get a favor out of her brother _and_ her coworker. That was powerful stuff, right there.

So, whatever, she was hyperfocused on Barry's ass now, but it didn't stop her from cheating at this minigolf game. If anything, she was _better_ now that she had proper motivation. She didn't _want_ it enough before. Lup cast a hex on Taako's club as he chewed Barry out from beneath them. He didn't notice, too wrapped up in his own bullshit. Perfect. Leave it to Taako to be distracted so easily. At least it was working in her favor this time.

Taako might argue that she was _just_ as distracted if he was up on the mountain watching her. She didn't notice how Barry was two strokes under par on most holes (he claimed Kravitz kept hitting him with spells on accident instead of Lup), and she didn't notice when he changed some of the numbers on the scorecard. But she trusted Barry, and she assumed he wasn't lying about Kravitz cursing him, and she assumed that he was changing Taako's score on the card. Barry was on her side, it seemed, so eager to do this _favor_ he planned.

She accidentally hit her ball off the mountain thinking about it, hitting Taako right in the head. Oops.

At least he couldn't get concussions if he was currently dead.

The rest of the game went by in a blur of the same motions. Taako tried to curse her, she tried to curse Taako. Kravitz stalled on every hole. Barry got unnaturally low scores that went largely unnoticed by the rest of the players. Lup threw things down onto the lower greens to antagonize her brother. Taako yelled up at Barry whenever he thought he was flirting. Kravitz was a little _too_ proud of his high score. Barry stayed suspiciously quiet. Balls had to be retrieved through magic in pond traps and the botched mechanics system of _the fucking windmill._   Taako got crushed by a vending machine while trying to steal some chips out of it. Taako fell into one of the ponds and got his foot caught in a suction tube. Taako tried to climb a fence to retrieve his ball on the other side and fell right into a dumpster on the other side.

She'd have to have a _long_ talk with Taako about self-preservation and _not dying_ after this vacation was over.

It was fun, though. Lup was a little disappointed that this vacation had less than a month left. They were just settling into a good family dynamic, Kravitz now included. There was no way he wouldn't be included, because her brother _finally_ owned up to his feelings. Downside: now they were insufferable to watch. Taako didn't say it out loud in public, but it was obvious something had changed. Which was fine, Lup knew she and Barry were pretty insufferable those first couple of years. They'd settle down later. She was more glad to see Taako allow himself to be _happy_ for once. She could tease him about it years later, when things were more stable.

And she was totally planning to.

The last hole was on the very top of the mountain. It was more difficult to see the forest from here. They had to lean over the safety railing to see the greens, and Taako and Kravitz were as small as ants down there. The view wasn't much to look at, either. Served as a reminder that this was a fake mountain. All they saw in every direction was more tacky tourist shit--when they had decided they wanted to play minigolf, they closest one they could find was in the middle of a thriving tourist district. Lup would have preferred if they put an illusion around the mountain to make it look like they were somewhere more beautiful, but that might have been too much work.

Besides, anything looked nice when she had Barry there with her.

Of course, the last hole was a gimmie. The hole was in the middle of a dip in the green, and the ball deposited itself back to the ticket counter automatically. You'd have to be trying _pretty hard_ to miss that shot (and, when Lup looked down over the railing, she saw that Kravitz _was_ trying hard to miss it).

Lup knocked her ball in unceremoniously, and Barry did the same. Little geyser jets puffed out congratulatory mist whenever the ball went in.

"Well, that's it!" Lup leaned on her club and winked at Barry. "I feel pr-etty good about my chances, gotta be honest."

Barry offered her a tight smile. He leaned over the railing and used Mage Hand to snap the scorecard out of Kravitz' hand.

"Want to do the math, Lup?" he asked, handing the little scorecard out to her.

Lup paused, unsure. Why did Barry look so confident right now? Did he know who he winner was? Sure, Lup was a  _little_ distracted during the game, but not...not  _that_ much.

Right?

She ripped the card out of his hands. She didn't even have to add up the numbers herself, the card enchanted itself to do that for her. Kravitz was in last place, naturally, over a hundred strokes. Taako was in third place, which made sense because he was trying harder to sabotage Kravitz and Lup than he was at actually playing the game. She expected Barry to be in second place, but he was three strokes above her, and--

"You played me," she said, a blank expression on her face.

"It's kind of easy to, in these jorts." Barry snorted and laughed, unable to keep a straight face.

Lup grinned wide and threw her arms around Barry. "You  _ass!"_

"I saw an opportunity and I took it, Lup." Barry grinned back, holding Lup tight. 

"I'm divorcing you."

"Good," Barry said, a gleam in his eye, "that means we get to have another wedding."

"I think we would have to anyway. Not sure breaking a glass in the middle of a party while drunk counts as a legal marriage in this plane." Lup chewed the inside of her cheek. "Might have to ask bone boy about the logistics of that, like, do we have to get married under the Raven Queen to make it count when we're dead?"

"Geez, Lup, propose to me  _before_ you start trying to figure out the logistics of death marriage."

"Fine." Lup hugged Barry close and kissed him soft. She pulled away barely an inch before whispering, "wanna go again?"

"Always." He kissed her again, squeezing her hand. It was a little farther than they should have taken in it public, but who was going to see them on top of the mountain? This plane hadn't invented cameras yet. This was totally fine. She lost herself a little bit in the kiss, eyes fluttering closed. It wasn't hot, it was  _comfortable,_ the motions of two people who knew each other for longer than most people were lucky to have.

Lup stopped mid-kiss, ran to the edge of the railing on the mountain, and screamed, _"GROSS!"_ down below. Sure enough, Kravitz had Taako pinned up against the  _fucking windmill,_ kissing him within an inch of his life. Gross.

Kravitz sputtered and took his hands off of her brother, holding them up like he'd just been caught in a robbery. 

* * *

In the end, Barry and Lup allowed Taako to be the one to break the news to Kravitz that the  _lower_ scores in golf won.

His face was indescribable, and his rage was priceless.

On their way back to Neverwinter, Lup broke the news of her and Barry's plans to get married again. His face lit up and he immediately launched into asking them about their plans. A little disappointed when he realized they were going to elope. Less disappointed when Lup assured him that he would still receive an obnoxiously fancy invitation just for him. 

"And I guess you can come too, since we might have to be married  _in_ the Astral Plane, considering our employment," Lup said, addressing Kravitz.

Kravitz' entire fit of losing dissolved in a second, replaced with confusion. "Are you sure? Honestly, I'm not sure how marriages in the Astral Plane  _work,_ because I've never had one and I've never been invited to one either. I believe you're only allowed to invite close family?"

Lup rolled her eyes. "Dude, I don't know how many times I've gotta say it before it gets stamped into your brain--"

Taako snorted. "A _lot_ , he's dense--"

"--but anyone with Taako  _is_ close family to me, full stop."

Kravitz nodded slowly. Hopefully it stuck in his dumb skull this time. "Thank you, Lup. I'd be happy to attend."

Lup grinned. "Chicken or fish?"

"I don't believe you'll be able to squeeze a reception into the Queen's court," Kravitz said.

"No, but I  _can_ squeeze a reception into the Material Plane with all of my friends." Lup scooted over to wrap an arm around Barry. "Just because the ceremony's going to be small doesn't mean we can't have a party afterwards."

"You think we can top the reception after our third wedding?" Barry asked.

"We'll have to." Lup kissed him, even amidst Taako's complaints of how  _gross_ they were being. "This marriage is the permanent one."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a shorter one today, folks! and you can all thank theninthmember for a good portion of this
> 
> you may have noticed I added one more chapter to this fic, and that's because, yes, AGAIN, I had to cut a later chapter in half. why do i keep making chapters 10k words long. somebody send help. this wasn't what i intended to do when i started this fic.
> 
> anyway, next chapter is one of my favorites and one that I'm very proud of, it's already written but I'm holding back on posting it because I want to try and keep a bit of a content buffer. it's very difficult to do constant updates with a full-time job!! but I also love doing this so i'm not going to stop anytime soon
> 
> **EDIT** AVISLIGHTWING IS HORRIBLE AND MADE ME ADD AN EXTRA CHAPTER ****AGAIN**** BECAUSE SHE'S AN ENABLER so next chapter is actually going to be something different.


	24. Bedridden (bonus)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Apparently, trying to eat/lick a golf ball from a public minigolf venue has consequences.

"Why are you making chicken soup at eleven in the morning?" Lup asked, leaning half-asleep on the doorframe.

Taako didn't bother to look up at her, kept his eyes on the pot. "Krav's sick as a dog." He brought a spoon up to taste it. Too much salt. But Kravitz' tongue was probably broken anyway, he wouldn't notice. "I think it's cause he tried to eat one of the balls at the minigolf place."

Lup barked out a laugh at him. "You told him to do that."

"Yeah, it was fucking hilarious," he said, perfectly flat. He really didn't want to deal with Lup right now, he had enough on his fucking plate. But after a couple moments of silence, Taako turned to look at her and that  _smug-ass_ look on her face.  _"What?"_

"You guilty for getting him infected?" The smug look on her face was even worse when the truth was coming out of it.

"No, that's stupid." Taako turned back to the soup. Maybe if Lup couldn't see his face, she wouldn't be able to catch his lie. He stirred the pot a little faster. "Fuckin' stupid."

"You're bad at lying." Lup hung an arm around his shoulder, which  _would_  be comforting if Taako wasn't worried about being a carrier for Kravitz' cold. "Don't worry about it too much, you couldn't have known."

"I don't need you to give me a fucking pep talk, I need you to give me space so I can  _fix_ it." Taako shrugged her off and moved to pour the soup into a bowl. He could barely stand hearing Kravitz' weak, scratchy voice and his horrible coughing fits. Lup's concern made it worse. "You and Barold should stay away from him, I'll quarantine him in the room."

Thankfully, since Lup knew him well enough to catch his lies, she also knew him well enough to understand that he wanted to be left to his own devices. She took her hands off of him and walked backwards towards the door.

"Thanks for the heads-up." She stuck her head out the door and yelled over to her and Barry's room. "Hey Barry, get dressed! We're going out."

Barry muttered out a response, but Taako didn't hear him.

"Great, I'll pack lunch!" Lup ran back into the kitchen.

Taako dug out a tray from the cabinets. "Where're you going?"

"Gonna try and find out where they keep that  _good_ medicine in this plane." Lup scrounged through the cabinets and brought out a picnic basket. "If nothing else, I can go get Merle."

"You don't have to," he said, balancing the soup bowl and a glass of water on the tray.

"I don't mind." She grinned, bringing out a cutting board and slicing bread out thick. "It'll be like the cycle where Magnus got that supervirus. You know, when Barry and I  _just_ got together?"

Taako carried the tray carefully past Lup, afraid to spill the bowl. "You weren't together by then, that was a couple of years before Fisher's home."

"No, but it was the first time we got  _to-ge-ther."_ She winked and slipped a flower into the glass of water on Taako's tray.

"Nope, no, Taako  _doesn't_ need to hear this." Taako grimaced at both the implication of Lup's words and the intrusion she made on his perfectly crafted sick tray. "Kravitz was supposed to drink that."

"Merle said the pollen in that flower helps with decongestion. Safe to drink." Lup smiled. "Actually, if you can get him to  _eat_ it, that would be even better. Not for, like, the decongestion or anything. It would just be funny."

"Fine, whatever." He didn't want to thank her for helping, that would only give her an opening to call him soft. "I'm out."

"Have fun taking care of your boy!" She waved and went back to making her picnic lunch.

"I won't," Taako said, forcing the door open with his hip. And that was  _true--_ taking care of a sick boyfriend wasn't  _fun,_ but it felt important. He looked down at the specially-crafted sick tray he made for Kravitz. Taako was long past the time where he could deny caring about him. But it wasn't like how he cared about Lup--that was his  _sister,_ there wasn't any way he couldn't love her. At least when he showed off how close he and Lup were, that was a natural thing. They were a package deal.

Being with Kravitz was different, though.

Not that Taako regret it at all, holy shit,  _no_.  Flirting with death's bounty hunter and taking him to a wine and pottery place was probably one of the best decisions of his life. But it was different than loving his sister. Taako wasn't one to verbally affirm that he loved Lup, because that was stupid. They both knew. Didn't need to be said. Kravitz, though? Once, Kravitz got so worried that Taako didn't love him back that he started thinking their relationship was casual. He told Taako he loved him every day, and now that Taako was able to say it back, he did too. It was surprisingly easy for Taako to verbalize that love once he got it going.

Words were one thing. Taako knew words at this point, that was a fucking cakewalk.

Bringing soup to a sick boyfriend because he felt guilty for being the one that got him sick?

That was an entirely different game.

The worst part was that Taako wasn't entirely sure  _why_ taking care of Kravitz felt important. That was a normal thing to do for a boyfriend, wasn't it? Why did it make him so nervous? Taako knew how to take care of sick people, so that wasn't an issue. When he and Lup were little, they took care of each other because nobody else bothered to. There was one cycle where he and Lup had to baby the rest of the crew, because elves were immune to the plague that destroyed the plane's inhabitants. So, no, he wasn't nervous about whether or not Kravitz would live. Taako knew what he was doing. It shouldn't have pulled at his heart with the same strength of eight Magnus clones playing tug of war.

Maybe that was the guilt?

He chose not to think on the subject too hard.

Taako pushed open his bedroom door with his foot, doing his best not to spill the tray. This tray was all liquids. He didn't want chicken soup all over his pajamas. He saw Kravitz buried in bed, saw the labored rise and fall of his chest, and that feeling of guilt came right for Taako's throat.

Nope, he wasn't going to dwell on it.

"You awake in here?" he asked, walking carefully towards the bed. It took him twenty minutes to wake up Kravitz this morning. If he was asleep, Taako wasn't worried about waking him up with a simple question.

"Unfortunately," Kravitz said, in that horribly scratchy and stuffed-up voice that Did Things to Taako's heart. The need to climb into bed with him and take care of him was overwhelming and embarrassing. Kravitz sat up to address him properly. "This is worse than the  _hangover."_

Taako sat at the edge of the bed, setting the tray on Kravitz' lap. "Well, I've got soup, if you think you can keep it down."

"My stomach feels alright, it's just--" Kravitz gestured around his lungs and face. "All this."

"Perfect!" Taako clapped his hands once, grinning, and then calmed down once he saw Kravitz' unimpressed face. "Okay, well, it still sucks, but it's not as bad as a stomach bug. Means you can still eat." He tapped the edge of the tray.

Kravitz stared down blankly at the tray, taking in one painful sniffle. "You really made me soup?"

"Well, yeah, I mean--listen, you didn't even remember to  _eat_ regularly when this all started, getting over a cold is higher math for someone like you."

"I can take care of myself. I'm not a child." Kravitz tried to cross his arms in a show of stubbornness, but immediately doubled over into another coughing fit. His lungs sounded like they had been dipped in mud.

"Uh-uh, nope, you'll heal faster if someone else helps out." Taako drummed his fingers on the bed, getting increasingly nervous. "And, the way I see it, I can't get sick, so, there's...that. There's literally no reason for you not to accept my help."

Kravitz cleared his throat, barely able to squeak out a word. "Still--"

"Listen, Taako's got  _plans_ for the end of the vacation, and they're all going to be ruined if you're sick." That sounded right, right? Taako thought, for a moment, if he should just be honest and say that he's worried about him and guilty for getting him sick in the first place. But he stopped himself from going that far in. He didn't need Kravitz to trip over himself trying to take care of Taako's feelings while he was this bad off. "Also, you'll need to know how to do this shit so that you can help  _me_ the next time  _I_ get sick, so sit back and take notes." Taako wondered if he looked suitably detached from this whole situation, or if Kravitz knew him well enough to see through that.

Kravitz hesitated, looking Taako up and down. Scanning for...something. He sighed after a moment and reached for the spoon. "If you say so, Taako."

Taako relaxed his shoulders. "Huh. Thought you'd put up more of a fight."

"Well, I've never been great at stopping you when you've got an idea in your head." Kravitz blew on a spoonful of soup before shoving it into his mouth. Must have been hungry. "Honestly, this--I don't have the energy to fight about this."

"That bad, huh?" Taako smiled and launched himself off the bed, towards the bathroom. "Go ahead and eat this, I'm goin' to get some sick supplies."

Kravitz dropped his spoon into the soup.

"You okay?" Taako asked, that concern creeping up all through his body again.

"Yes, I--um." Kravitz picked his spoon back up and fidgeted with it. Another cough, but this time a nervous one. "A little worried."

"C'mon, I know you don't feel great right now, but I won't do anything bad to you."

"I--know. I'm just not very fond of most cold remedies." He gripped his spoon like his life depended on it. "If you're going to do leech therapy, could you hold my hand?"

Taako dropped his jaw. "Holy shit, I keep forgetting how  _old_ you are--" He had to stop himself from laughing, threw a hand up to cover his mouth. "Babe, darling, nobody uses  _leeches_ anymore! Even on this backwater plane."

Kravitz visibly relaxed at the news, but still looked a tad worried. "Then what remedies do you plan on using?"

"Nothing that'll hurt, uh--" Taako threw his palm out towards Kravitz. "Stay here."

"As if I could go anywhere," he said, shoveling more chicken soup into his gob. Good. He needed the energy to get over this cold.

Taako ran out the room just in time to wave Barry and Lup goodbye. Whole house to himself. Perfect. He dove into the bathroom first, found some Fantasy Motrin. He wet a washcloth with some scalding hot water, knowing it would cool off to  _pleasantly warm_ status by the time he got back into the room. He rummaged through the medicine cabinet, trying to find anything else that he'd need. Fantasy Mucinex? Probably. Oh, maybe he'd draw Kravitz a bath using some of his strongest scents, that would clear out his sinuses real well. Taako looked on the sink to find bath salts, and instead found--

\--Kravitz' toothbrush.

That pulling feeling that Taako wasn't able to name before came back at full force.

_Huh._

Taako went ahead and sterilized it with hot water. No need for Kravitz to get infected again after this was all said and done. He made a point to  _ignore_ that pulling feeling, whatever the fuck it was.

He grabbed the shit from the bathroom and threw it back into the bedroom with Kravitz. He didn't bother to explain any of it except for the rag. He told Kravitz to put it over his eyes, and that it would help him breathe. Kravitz thanked him and went back to his soup. 

That pulling feeling came back, and Taako had to leave the room before it overtook him.

He made his way to the kitchen. Lup set aside some medicinal teas that Merle had gifted them a while back. Taako took one of each, figuring he could ask Kravitz which one he wanted before putting any on the kettle. He dug into a cabinet and found some local Neverwinter honey, put that under his arm too. With the way Kravitz was taking down that soup, he figured that he'd be able to take down more food later. He'd ask for his opinion on that, too--Taako didn't know what his preferred sick day food was. Nothing else he could get from the kitchen yet, then--the rest was Kravitz' choice. He'd have to come back later. But, he did do one sweep of the kitchen, trying to figure out if there was anything else he needed. The only thing that grabbed his attention was a frying pan in the sink that had been soaking for two days, from--

\--from when Kravitz burned his eggs so bad that they fused to the pan.

There was that pulling feeling  _again._

_What **was** that?_

Taako was tired of looking at the pan, and magic'd it clean instead. Only reason he didn't do that before was his  _no magic in the kitchen_ rule, but, maybe using magic for cleaning was fine. He made his way back to the bedroom, supplies in hand, and found Kravitz took his advice with the washcloth. He didn't have it over his eyes, just held it over the bridge of his nose. His face brightened up a bit when Taako walked back in.

_There was that feeling, one more time._

Kravitz put down the washcloth on the tray. "Glad to see you don't have any blades or bloodletting devices." 

"Dude, I'm not going to bleed you out." Taako spilled the contents of his arms onto the bed. "In fact, you might actually enjoy being doted on."

"Is that what you're going to do?" It wasn't clear if his voice cracked because of the cold or because he  _really_ liked that idea.

"Well, yeah, you'll get better quicker if you rest." Taako reached for the spoon from the soup, and wiped it off with the cloth. "And, also, cha'boy's an ice pack right now, so if you want, I can squeeze right in with you."

Kravitz watched everything Taako did with suspicion, still not convinced that bloodletting wasn't a part of the care program. "Shouldn't I stay warm to break the fever?"

"That's a myth, your fever can get worse if you don't cool down  _a little bit."_ He squeezed honey out on the spoon, being very generous with it. "If you don't want to be touched while you're sick, I can just cast a spell or you can use less blankets."

"Oh." Kravitz took in a labored breath through his mouth. "That's fine, um, I'd like to take the ice pack option."

"In a bit, we've gotta get through some of this shit." Taako held out the spoon to Kravitz. "Swallow that, 's good for your throat."

"Just...raw honey?" he asked, but took the spoon anyway.

"Don't complain." Taako stared Kravitz down until he stuck the spoon in his mouth.

He almost choked on the honey, coughing and hacking after he got it all down.  _"Gah,_ that  _hurts!"_ He threw the spoon back on the tray, hands on his face. "My throat  _burns,_ Taako, that's-- _shit!"_

"You'll thank me later, that's supposed to help cut back that soreness." Taako threw the tea packets towards Kravitz and picked up the bottles of medicine he left in the room earlier. "Here, look through these while I figure out what dose to give you."

Kravitz coughed, a horrible sound that tugged at Taako's heart. "Is one more effective than the others?"

"Anything's good, they're all supposed to help different things." Taako read the labels on the medicine, trying to guess how much Kravitz weighed. He didn't want to overdose him. "They're labeled, just, pick the one that helps your, uh, your worst symptoms."

He didn't give a verbal answer to that, opted to nod instead. His throat must have been killing him.

Getting honey down was no trouble compared to trying to get Kravitz to swallow pills. Somehow, he hadn't done it before. They hadn't been invented when he was alive, and he didn't have any need to take them in his death. He was also skeptical that "these little rocks" could do anything to make his cold better. He crawled away from Taako, trying to escape his own fate. But he seemed to get the hang of it after a couple of spat-out and accidentally bitten pills. Getting him to drink water was an ordeal, too. Kravitz didn't talk as much after Taako crawled into bed with him, just held onto Taako's side as the medicine started to take hold. Taako tried to keep his questions to yes or no, just to save his throat. Either his throat was really bad, or Kravitz didn't remember what it felt like to have a cold.

But even if Kravitz  _was_ overreacting, Taako still felt bad. His guilt was a real bitch.

Taako dug his thumb into Kravitz' shoulder, relieving some of the sick aches. Kravitz whimpered and buried his face into Taako's side.

"That's good?" he asked, not sure if that was a plea for him to stop.

Kravitz nodded into his arm and coughed. Guess that was a yes. Taako kept rubbing, a quiet smile forming on his face. Hopefully the remedies would kick in soon, and then Kravitz wouldn't be suffering so much. He'd still have to rest for the entire day, but at least he wouldn't be coughing his lungs up. He was so cute resting up against Taako like this. The pulling feeling came back with so much force, it threatened to knock Taako out of bed.

That didn't make sense.

Taako had assumed that pulling was guilt, but he still felt it when Kravitz was acting cute like this. Unless he felt guilty for indulging in cuddling his boyfriend while he was sick? That couldn't be it, this was helping Kravitz more than any satisfaction Taako got out of it. He decided to ignore the feeling. No use in being guilty for no reason, right? But Kravitz wasn't a good conversation partner right now, and Taako was stuck in bed with him, so he had to figure out a way to curb the boredom.

He looked around the room, desperately hoping something would catch his eye so he'd have  _something_ to occupy his mind with. His room was messy as usual. That never changed, even when he lost his memory. All his unused magic items on the ground, components pouches hung on every knob in the room, wayward socks and jewelry lying in places they shouldn't be. A lot like his dorm room at the Bureau, and his room during the later years on the Starblaster when Lup stayed in Barry's room.

Except, there were some differences in this room and Taako's previous ones.

The bed was larger--not a full-size like the one in his nicer reclaimer dorm, but a queen--designed for two people. There was mixture of soft pillows and a firm pillows, even though Taako didn't use firm pillows. The decor was a compromise, instead of the jumbled, disorganized blur of color and mess that Taako had been living in his whole life. Not all the clothes in the closet were his. There was an ironing board now, to be used on shirts that Taako didn't wear. Or, at least, shirts that Taako only wore after stealing them. Laundry actually  _made it_ to the hamper, not always, but more than it had before. One nightstand wasn't his anymore, its drawers filled with knickknacks and mementos that Taako didn't fully understand. About half of the possessions in the room were his. A cello leaned up against one of the walls.

The pulling feeling came back and--oh.  _Oh._

_That's_ what it was.

No, nope, Taako couldn't do this with Kravitz in the room. He felt himself on the edge of an emotional breakdown--or maybe an epiphany. Taako knew his brain was about to connect a few logical points, and he wasn't prepared for the conclusion, even if he had an idea what it was already. He shuffled out of the bed despite Kravitz' clinging, needing to get the _fuck_ out of the room.

Problem: Kravitz had a strong grip.

A stronger grip than Taako's.

"C'mon, babe, I'm gettin' out of this--you can't get  _too_ cool or else, uh, or else your fever'll--"  Taako did an awkward hop-and-shuffle to try and wrestle out of Kravitz' arms. "Shit, just--be back in a minute."

Hearing Taako's urgency, Kravitz let go willingly, but confused. "Did you forget something?"

"Yeah, uh. The, the fuckin'--the tea, I forgot the tea." It wasn't a lie--Taako  _hadn't_ made him any tea yet. But Kravitz didn't need to know that Taako was on the brink of a thought he couldn't return from. He grabbed the teabag that Kravitz showed an interest in earlier. "Be back in a little bit, babe, love you."

Ninety-four.

Whoops, he hadn't meant to let that one out. Put a goofy smile on Kravitz' sick face, so it wasn't a huge loss. He blew a kiss to Kravitz and winked, leaving the room as calm as he could muster.

Once the door closed shut, Taako  _ran._

Taako ran out of his room--no, not  _his_ room. His and  _Kravitz'_ room. He ran out to the kitchen, leaned up against the countertop for support. That thought shouldn't have put him so far out of commission--he'd already told Kravitz he  _loved him,_ at least fifty times by now, and they'd been sharing a room long-term for five months. A complete stranger could walk into their room and tell that it was made for two. Why was the idea of adding Kravitz to the list of people that room belonged to bugging him so much? Why was taking care of Kravitz while he was sick subjecting Taako to that pulling feeling.

Of course, he knew exactly why. Didn't take a genius to figure that out.

Maybe getting this tea ready would calm him down.

It didn't frighten him as much as it embarrassed him, the idea of domesticity. He found himself fine with it, more than he thought he'd ever be. All it did was catch him off guard. Surprised him. He wasn't worried about  _the spark_ disappearing, because he'd seen what was on the other side of that with Lup and Barry. They weren't constantly caught up in a whirlwind of emotions and romance, but instead were safe and comfortable with each other. The two had crossed the line of inevitability during their duet at the conservatory, and there was no going back. They were still in love, but it had settled into something permanent and familiar.

And not only did he want that, but he  _specifically_   wanted it with Kravitz.

Score one for Taako, finally able to identify and work through a positive emotion.

Sure, he wasn't  _there_ yet with Kravitz. Barry and Lup had more than fifty years to get to that point. He'd only been with Kravitz for eleven months-- _oh, shit, anniversary's coming up soon--_ which wasn't enough time to cultivate their relationship to a level that high. But Taako could feel it starting to happen, and even better? He was going to allow it to happen.

It was inevitable.

Taako poured one cup of tea for Kravitz and one for himself, in the set of mugs Magnus had gifted them for Candlenights: Taako's, "he's mine," and Kravitz', "I'm his." Both mugs were flat on one side, so they could be pressed together It was a cute set, and it belonged to the both of them, and  _fuck, how deep in **was** he where cheesy mug sets actually put a smile on his face?_

But, no, Taako was leaning into that feeling. Wanted to get used to it.

He walked into his and Kravitz' room  _(!!!)_ with both mugs in hand. Taako handed off the "he's mine" mug (the one that Taako traditionally took) over. Kravitz took the one he was offered, saw that Taako had switched them, and the smile that followed threw any residual worries he had out the window.

"Are you alright, Taako?" His voice scratched, and he took a sip of his tea before trying to speak again. "You left very abruptly."

"I know that looked bad, but I'm  _great,"_ Taako said, smiling and scooting back into bed. Didn't get too close to Kravitz yet--he didn't want to cool him off too much. Only when his fever was unbearable.

Kravitz rapped fingers on the side of his mug, nervous. "You would tell me if I'm being too much trouble, right?"

"You? Never. You're taking this pretty well, actually." Taako grinned and pinched Kravitz' cheek endearingly. "Except for when you had to swallow those pills, that was a disaster."

"Can you blame me? It was like eating pebbles." He laughed, but it sounded spongy and painful. "I'm serious, if you need--if you need to discuss something, you can. I'm trying to rest my throat, but, at least you could say things  _at_ me."

"It wasn't anything for you to worry about. Just." Taako took down half of his tea in one big swig, taking advantage of the whole  _not breathing_ thing. "I got to thinkin' about us, and, uh, it. Got out of hand, I guess."

"Oh." Kravitz turned a shade redder and took a drink to hide it. "In a good way?"

"Yeah." Taako barely spoke above a whisper. "Really good."

Kravitz beamed, opening his mouth to answer but instead coughed a gross ball of phlegm into a tissue. He grimaced at it, disgusted, and threw it into the wastebasket that Taako positioned next to the bed in anticipation of this very event. "Sap," was all he could say, his voice scratching the word almost beyond recognition.

"As long as you don't tell the rest of the world," Taako said, instead of denying it.

Kravitz just smiled, rubbed the skin right where his throat met his chest. Must have exhausted that voice all the way. He drank the rest of his tea and set the mug on the nightstand. He sank deeper into the bed, laid his head down.

"Yeah, good idea. Go to sleep. Maybe you'll feel better when you wake up." Taako ran chilled fingers on Kravitz' scalp, muttering a simple, "love you," as Kravitz closed his eyes.

Ninety-three.

He fell asleep near-immediately. Must have needed the rest. Taako left the bed so that the bedsheets wouldn't chill, but climbed into a plush chair he shoved in the corner of their room a few months ago. He felt bad watching how labored and difficult breathing was for Kravitz, but Taako had done what he could for now. Any feelings of guilt were pushed to the side in favor of a dull, comfortable, safe love.

Yeah.

Taako could do this for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so avislightwing messaged me immediately after i posted the last chapter and said something along the lines of "IF KRAVITZ LICKED THAT GOLF BALL, DOES HE GET SICK??" and we screamed at each other until i caved and decided to write this chapter. so thank her for this
> 
> today's been a bad day, but posting fic always makes me feel better (if ao3 lets me upload THIS TIME c'mon) so that's why this is out a day early!
> 
> next chapter is what used to be chapter 24, but now is chapter 25, but is still one of my favorites!


	25. Permanent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last night of Kravitz' vacation, Taako takes him out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's ya girl, "i wrote 8k words for a chapter oh No, oh no, why do i keep doing this." also posting this early because i'm traveling again. wow, i'm out of town a lot!!!!!!!! anyway, enjoy

Kravitz had one more night before his vacation was over.

Taako left the bed before he woke up that morning. Kravitz wasn't a big fan of waking up alone--actually, scratch that, he _hated it._ He walked into the kitchen to find that breakfast was already made, courtesy of Lup. That made the rest of the morning slightly less disappointing. Lup and Barry invited him to sit down and eat with them. He asked them where Taako went. They laughed and told him not to worry about it, that he'd see Taako later. Told him to relax for the day. Fair enough. Kravitz trusted him to come back, so he took it easy for the whole day. Ate lunch with Barry and Lup, but left them to their own devices otherwise. They were celebrating their last night living, too. They deserved to do it together.

But, even though he knew that Taako would come back later that day, Kravitz was a little lonely as he passed his time. He wasn't normally a lonely person, he went hundreds of years being single. Always kind of a workaholic. But he only had one day before going back to his job, and he knew he wouldn't be able to see Taako again for a few months. Training Lup and Barry would take up most of his time. He wouldn't get any time off after such an extended vacation.

So sue him if he missed Taako a little more than he should have.

Instead of staying in bed and moping, he genuinely did try to relax. He took an extended bath. He played his cello and spent a little time on the piano. He snooped in Barry's room looking for illegal necromantic tomes. He read a little bit, and when he was too distracted and found his eyes skimming over important paragraphs, he shut the book and walked back over to Taako's room.

Okay, maybe he _did_ stay in bed to mope as the afternoon rolled in. He could only entertain himself for so long, and he didn't want to intrude on Barry and Lup's day.

Thankfully, he didn't have to wait too long laying in bed doing nothing. Taako kicked the door to his and Kravitz' room open, a hand on his hat and an oversized component pouch slung over his shoulder.

"Are you ready for the night of your life, babe?"

He was dressed in his old adventuring gear, more scraggly than what he'd been wearing since they defeated the Hunger. Comfortable and practical, oversized, suited more for standing uninterested at the back of the party. Too many colors. Bordering on gaudy. Kravitz only saw him like this a few times. After their first date, Taako made an effort to look as nice as possible, and adventuring rags were not in fashion. Here, he was swimming in his own gear. He'd probably be kicked out of most decent restaurants if he wasn't Taako from T.V. Still, there was something charming about this look. Or maybe there wasn't--maybe it was horrendous, and Kravitz just didn't notice because he thought Taako looked good in everything.

Kravitz picked his jaw and his dignity up off the floor and stood up to meet Taako. "What...is _this?"_

"This?" Taako winked and turned around to show himself off. "I know it's been a while, but don't tell me you forgot you were dating a wizard."

"I didn't forget. I just don't see this very often. Once at the pottery place, once at the sapphire portal...no, the first time you were in that ridiculous suit..." Kravitz eyed Taako over again, resisting the urge to pull him into his arms right now. "Wait, why have I only seen you in adventurer's garb twice?"

Taako shrugged. "Uh, 'cause this isn't a sexy look?"

"It's cute."

"And that's the point, cute isn't what I'm going for. We're way past that." Taako took two steps to meet Kravitz, and slung his arms around his neck. "When I take you out, I'm anglin' to look a lot more than _cute."_

"But...not tonight?" Kravitz smiled and scooped Taako into a quick kiss. "What's the occasion?"

"Well--uh--listen, I don't know if you remember, but--" Taako suddenly looked a little self-conscious, playing with the collar of Kravitz' shirt nervously. It was...cute. Taako didn't look _cute_ often, and from what he said earlier, Kravitz wondered if that was on purpose. Taako looked up at him, summoning a bit of courage from the back of his mind. "You...know what today is?"

"Th...Thursday?" He sighed, speaking up again before Taako could express his disappointment. "I'm sorry, Taako, I can barely remember what day of the year Midsummer is on. I haven't paid attention to dates in centuries."

"It's cool, I wasn't expecting you to know." Taako didn't actually seem that put-out. He wasn't even lying. He gave Kravitz two pats on the chest and pushed him away. "Get dressed all nice and let's get _going_.  I'm sure you'll figure it out on the way."

"How nice are we talking?" Kravitz asked, eyeing how _not-nice_ Taako's clothes were. Where the hell could they be going that required Kravitz to dress nice, but not Taako?

"Like you're going to work." Taako flopped down on the bed. That was the nice thing about dressing poorly--he didn't have to worry about ruining his look.

"Oh, so you want me to dress casually."

Taako snorted and put a hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter. Just... _cute._

He went ahead and dressed in the same suit he wore at the Chilladelphia New Year's celebration, because he didn't own more than two corporeal suits, and this one was similar to the one he wore for work. Once he got his hair and face done, he walked back out into the bedroom to meet Taako.

"Is this what you were looking for?" he asked, arms out as Taako eyed him over.

"Yep!" Taako jumped off the bed and snaked his arms around Kravitz', leading him towards the door. "Alright, let's get a move on, we've got reservations to keep."

Kravitz allowed himself to be led by the arm, as Taako had done hundreds of times before. He steered Kravitz out of the house and onto the street. Wherever they were going, it couldn't have been too far, because he didn't rent a wagon or go towards the train station. Taako was just as chatty as always as they walked, blabbering on about nothing, and it felt...normal, really. Nice. They walked north, towards the river, and after a couple blocks of walking, Kravitz realized they were walking _to_ the river. It seemed like there was an event down at the riverfront, and Taako was heading right for it.

"Did you eat?" Taako asked as they approached a line of tents with string lights hanging off and between them. It seemed to be a fair of some sort, chock full of people. A light blanket of mist dusted over the whole event, and Kravitz could see his breath when he spoke.

"No, I didn't know if you had anything planned." Kravitz kept close to Taako as they entered the crowd.

"Well, I did, sort of, but it's not a big thing." Taako gestured around them, pointing out various food vendors and snack carts. Some of the owners recognized Taako, _from T.V.,_ and tried to wave him over, but all his focus was glued to Kravitz. "I would have taken you out somewhere, uh, nicer, but this was in town and I thought it would be a good idea to--"

"Anything with you makes me happier beyond measure, Taako."

"Yeah, it does." Taako looked up and read the signs. "Anything in here jumping out at you?"

Kravitz skimmed the line of signs and advertisements too, but had never heard of most of this food. "I thought we had reservations?"

"Not for dinner--I didn't know if, uh, you would have eaten before or not, and even if you _did_ eat, they also have, y'know, sweet shit. Also thought it'd be nice to--to walk around." Taako let go of Kravitz' arm and held his hand instead. "Our reservations are for a _different_ thing, and I'll make sure we're not late, but...you, uh, you _good_ with eating fried unicorn dick?"

"I hope they serve something _other_ than fried unicorn dick here, but, yes." Kravitz rubbed his thumb into the palm of Taako's hand, taking a more detailed look around. "This looks like fun. I don't think I've had fair food before."

"Holy shit." Taako's face lit up. He grabbed Kravitz' other hand, pulling him past rows of tents and carts. "Okay, okay, this is an emergency--we've _got_ to find something horrible, disgusting, and fried, _now."_

Kravitz laughed and followed along, having to stop and pick up Taako's hat whenever he ran ahead too quickly. He requested that they _not_ order any fried dicks of any creatures, and even though Taako teased him for the decision, he steered clear of any establishments that dunked genitalia into their frying oil. He _did_ eat bacon fried in funnel cake batter, which made Kravitz want to throw up when he tried to take a bite of it. Taako laughed at him, and he must have warmed himself up--his breath was showing, too. The mist got thicker as the afternoon rolled into evening, but never so thick that they couldn't navigate around properly. They spent a good hour and a half walking the tents and trying out shitty fair food. Taako ordered smaller portions and shared them, so Kravitz didn't get too full on one single dish. Kravitz didn't enjoy most of the food, but Taako's laugh whenever he had to spit out something bad and his critique of every single thing they bought (and some stolen) made this one of the best meals Kravitz had in a long time.

Or, at least, it _was_ nice until Kravitz got knocked upside the head.

"Hey, what the _fuck!"_ Fireball in one hand and a drink in the other, Taako stood up and yelled at the force that hit Kravitz from behind. He held his head in his hands; it wasn't a horrible pain or anything, but he was caught off guard. "Hands o--hands _off_ my boyfriend, or else you're getting som--"

"Oh, _c'mon,_ I'm just messing with him!" Oh _no._ Kravitz knew that voice. He turned around to look his attacker in the eyes. A smaller elven woman, and the other a bigger, bulkier human person. Both were dressed sharply with jet black hair, soulfire eyes, and feathered cloaks. Two of his coworkers. _Great._ He didn't remember their names, even, he wasn't _friends_ with him. Quite the opposite. 

 _"This_   is what you do on your time off now?" The elf smiled in the closest physical equivalent of the ">:3c" emoji, standing on her toes in whatever form of intimidation she could get on Kravitz. Which, with the way she'd tease him, was a lot. And often. "I mean, are you even off duty right now? Still wearing your uniform, aren't you?" 

Kravitz sighed, and asked Taako to take the fireball out of his hand. It took a lot of self-restraint not to deck the elf in the face, right there. He wasn't about to let two shitty coworkers ruin his date. He slipped into one of his work accents out of habit. "What are you doing here?"

"You couldn't tell? A coulple'a liches are taking a page from the Wonderland book here." The human waved their hand in the air, cutting through the heavy mist. "Haven't noticed the necrotic energy seep out whenever someone laughs?"

"Like, great job, you figured out how to harvest a positive emotion, whoop-dee-doo. Congratulations." The elf leaned on her scythe, sarcasm dripping in every word. She fake-gagged and rolled her eyes. "You're still getting thrown in the Stockade."

"Well, if the two of you are going to handle this, I think we'll go ahead and lea--"

"No, hold on, we've got some time before our reservation." Taako stepped in between Kravitz and his coworkers, flashing one of his performer's smiles. He took a sip of his drink, straight out of a shitty Fantasy Solo cup, his earlier frustration gone. Now he was just trying to impress these two. "Why don't we watch the show? I've only seen this kind of shit in action when I'm the one being hunted."

The two reapers snickered.

Kravitz put a hand on Taako's shoulder and urgently whispered, "I'd really rather not."

Taako stopped. He looked at the obvious concern in Kravitz' face, and then to the two shit-eating grins of the reapers in front of them. The gears turned in his head. He must have figured out something was wrong, now, as he scanned the faces of the reapers again.

He threw his drink onto the whole front of the elf woman.

"What the _fuck?!"_  

"Oh, _oops."_ Taako covered his mouth, feigning shock, but Kravitz could see him giggling underneath his palm. "Guess I don't need to pay for your fuckin' dry cleaning, though, I know that shit's conjured."

The human stepped in front of the elf, scythe appearing in their hands. "What is _wrong with you?"_

"Accidents happen." Taako shrugged.

"That was very obviously _not_ an accide--"

"I'll say this once, and I expect you to listen carefully and commit it to memory. Write it down if you need it." Taako crossed his arms behind his back and got all up in the reaper's grill. "I'm a bomb-ass wizard, and if my sister didn't exist I'd be the _best,_ alright? I'm not a dumbass necromancer that decided to raise a few dead without knowing that _you_ exist as some kind of weird magic dogcatcher, I'm _familiar_ with how all this--" he pointed a finger at the elf, waving it up and down. "--works. I could dismantle you with a wave of my fucking hand."

The elf watched Taako, trying to determine if he was bullshitting her. He absolutely wasn't.

"It's just a little bit of soul energy expanded into a living form, that's not _news._ You're still undead, _technically,_ even if you're running on goddess juice."

Both reapers looked to each other, neither sure how to deal with this situation.

"So if I hear that you're fucking with my boyfriend again, know that you're going to die, again, for-real, permanently." Taako put on a sick grin, something Kravitz hadn't seen before. "I can make it hurt, too."

The two weren't openly frightened, but they did seem extremely uncomfortable with Taako now. They looked over at Kravitz, judging whether or not it would be any use to fight and squabble.

"We've got to get back to work," the human said, their face turning into a skull. Obviously they didn't feel like fighting today. The elf followed suit, dissolving the stain on her suit into smoke and walking into the crowd. The human cut off in a different direction, leaving Taako and Kravitz alone. Taako grabbed him by the arm, leading him out of the fair. Once they were out, screams and wails rang out from the line of tents.

"Well, that fucking sucked," Taako said, adjusting his hat. "I mean, the fair was fine, those liches knew how to throw a goddamn party, but. You know. The other part sucked."

"Yes." Kravitz reached for Taako's hand, still a bit stunned from the whole affair. "You were terrifying."

"Oh, _whoops."_ He didn't sound even a little sorry.

Kravitz nodded, just barely acknowledging the coy tone in Taako's voice. His mind was more focused on replaying the scene he just saw over and over again. Kravitz could handle himself with his shitty coworkers, that wasn't a problem. They liked seeing Kravitz explode on them, thought it was funny, so his strategy was to run off before they poked at too many of his nerves. But instead of running, Taako just...threatened them. Shooed them away like it was nothing. It was a little possessive and a lot out of line, but the image of Taako scaring the shit out of two of his worst coworkers was...a lot more exciting than it should have been.

"Hey." Taako cupped Kravitz' cheek, stopping them both in the middle of the street. He seemed concerned. Kravitz realized he had been silent for a full five minutes. "You okay?"

"Y-yes," Kravitz said, a bit too fast. Taako grinned, knowing that tone in his voice _intimately._ "I've just. Well. You were very. Protective? I haven't, uh, seen that. Very much." Kravitz looked off into the distance, and then quietly added, "it was a little hot."

"It was?" Taako asked, grin widening. "I'll have to remember that."

Kravitz coughed. "You didn't have to do that, though."

"Did you not want me to?"

"I didn't mind seeing the look on their faces when you threw that drink on her. I think they got what was coming to them." Kravitz smiled softly and planted a kiss on Taako's cheek. "I just don't want them coming back to harm you."

"I'll be fine. Wasn't lying about the whole 'I could dismantle you if I wanted' thing. You think I didn't figure out how to do that after we met the first time?" Taako held onto Kravitz' arm and continued walking. They walked away from the river, but not towards the house. Taako waited a couple blocks before asking, "are all your coworkers like that?"

"Not all of them, no. And it's only gotten this bad recently."

"Why's that?" Taako asked, pressing his cheek into Kravitz' shoulder.

"I'm not--well, first off, I'm still one of the newer bounty hunters." Kravitz took in a breath, still trying to calm himself after that whole affair. "I work on most of the edge cases, like yours, so I don't use the same tactics as normal reapers. Most of my bounties end in negotiations like the one we hammered out in the lab."

"They don't do that?"

"They deal with the more straightforward cases. Necromancers trying to permanently raise the dead. People that turn into liches. Things that break the rules in a clean way. All they do is come into the Material Plane, read the bounties their rights, and throw their souls right into the Stockade."

Taako clicked his teeth. "Surprised that they didn't send one of those chucklefucks to come after us."

"What happened in Lucas' lab wasn't the fault of the souls. I was sent there to determine Lucas' punishment and take the souls back to the Sea, no criminal charges." Kravitz kissed the top of Taako's head, smiling into it. "And three adventurers that have more than fifty deaths between them isn't a cut and dry case. Obviously you had outrun death before, and in cases like that, I'm sent over to try different tactics."

"So what's the problem?"

Kravitz huffed. "It's not your fault, but they think it's _hilarious_ that I'm dating a former bounty. And they think it's even more hilarious that I petitioned to get Barry and Lup pardoned."

"Well, then I'm glad I threw my whole drink on that bitch." Taako steered Kravitz by the arm, turning to the left. He looked up at the signs on the road, now, probably looking for a specific address. "If either of those assholes touch Lup, I'm--shit, I'll steal all of Merle's fucking holy items and shove them right up their asses."

"I'd like to see that. I guess it's a good thing I'll be training them, though."

"You are?"

"Nobody else volunteered to. My coworkers aren't fond of necromancers." Kravitz slowed to a stop, holding Taako's chin in his hand. "I'll do my best to see they won't be harassed at work."

"Lup can handle herself, handsome, but..." He smiled. "It'd make me feel better if you tried. Since I won't be there to, uh--to be her backup."

"I will. And Barry, too."

"Good, he fucking needs it." Taako tugged on his arm. "C'mon, we're almost there. I swear."

Kravitz pouted, a little disappointed he couldn't squeeze a kiss in there. The street they were on was busier than before, though, so maybe Taako was a bit afraid of being stopped during a private moment. He was a universal celebrity now. And, yes, he loved being admired, but he also loved being left to his own devices.

Taako pulled him over to a row of commercial buildings. All were newer entertainment and leisure-based businesses. Bars, specialty restaurants, vape shops, little quirky bakeries and art galleries. Mostly catered to the younger night scene. It wasn't the sort of thing Kravitz was into, but he trusted his boyfriend's judgment. Taako's eyes lit up when he saw a florist's cart parked out next to an unassuming brick building.

"Oh, dunk, they're selling flowers over here!" Taako let go of Kravitz and ran over to the cart. "You got a favorite, babe?"

"This shouldn't come as a surprise with my line of work," Kravitz said, scurrying over to Taako as quick as he could, "but I do like lilies."

Taako slipped a couple of coins to the florist and nodded. The florist smiled and started on an arrangement, predominantly lilies, but also with a few forget-me-nots in there for variety. They took one look at Kravitz and decided to wrap it in black paper. Ouch. Was his tastes that transparent? Once they were done, they handed the arrangement over to Taako, who turned on his heel to drop them in Kravitz' arms. He could barely eke out a "thank you," so blown away by the gesture.

"They're beautiful, but we don't have anything to carry them in," Kravitz said, still with a smile on his face. Taako could really be sweet when he wanted to. "They're going to wilt by the time we get back to the house."

"Huh, that's--that's kind of a shame, isn't it?" Taako backed up closer to the brick building the florist's cart parked next to. He threw the doors open. "Guess you'll just have to _make_ a vase."

Kravitz followed behind him, almost dropping the flowers in surprise.

It was a pottery studio. Not just a pottery studio, but also a wine bar. It was larger than the one on the moon, more open concept and decorated with a modern flair. Dimly lit, extremely romantic, and fancy. Right now, it was empty--no instructors, only one woman behind the bar. She waved and smiled when the two walked in, and didn't attack Taako with questions. This must have been the reservation that Taako was trying to keep.

"Taako, this is--"

"Listen, it's no Chug n' Squeeze, that one--that one was really rowdy. This one's--fancier? More refined, or whatever." 

Taako walked right in like he owned the place. He flashed a showy grin towards the lady at the counter and she handed him a bottle of red. Taako grabbed Kravitz by the arm and led him to the back of the sculpting area, into a little window seat with two potter's wheels sitting in front. All of the supplies were already there--clay kneaded, silt set out, and tools laid down on a low table between the wheels. Taako set the wine bottle down and took the bouquet of lilies from Kravitz. He slipped them into a vase set into the wall, which must have already had water inside it.

"You planned this," Kravitz said, dumbfounded.

"Got a problem with that?" Taako asked, running a thumb over a lily's petal.

"Not at all." Kravitz smiled and uncorked the wine bottle. "When did you get so suave?"

"You say that like I haven't always been suave," he mumbled, picking up one of the glasses and holding it out.

"You _have_ always been gorgeous and creative and... _forward."_ Kravitz poured a glass out for Taako, and then one for himself. "Suave is new."

"Suave and forward are the same thing."

"They certainly are _not."_ Kravitz sat down at the window seat, leaving enough room for Taako. He took a sip of the wine, not making the mistake of throwing back his drinks in one gulp. "Did you rent this whole place out for the night? That's so much planning, Taako, what's--what _is_ the occasion tonight?"

"Well, _darling,_ I think you're smart enough to figure it out." Taako sat himself down next to Kravitz. At their last wine and pottery meeting, they had a healthy amount of space between them, but this time the two sat leg against leg. Taako looped his finger under Kravitz' tie, holding back a laugh. "We're at a fuckin'--wine and pottery place, I'm dressed up as a shitty wizard, you're all goth-ed out. What do you think this is?"

"Oh. Oh no, did I--" The realization hit Kravitz like a truck. "This is our anniversary, isn't it?"

Taako kissed his cheek and shot him a finger gun. "Got it in one, babe!"

He laid a hand on Taako's arm, apologetic. "I'm so sorry, I didn't--"

"Don't fucking give me that, why do you think I went to plan this?" Taako sat back, swirling his glass in his hand. "Thought it'd be _fun_ to surprise you, and, it was, and also you're cute when you're being admired."

"You're not angry?"

"No, no no, come on, I knew you wouldn't, uh, that you don't keep a calendar or remember dates too well. There was no way you would have known that _this--_ " Taako waved his glass around, looking all around at the venue. "--would have led to anything past, uh. You know, your job. Like, if I told you it was a date before you, uh, got here? Maybe you would have paid attention, but, your cute little workaholic ass didn't notice I was coming onto you until halfway through the date."

"But you remembered the date?" Kravitz smiled.

"I--uh, I didn't have a lot going on in the--I was criminally single, babe, I--" Taako's face burned a bright red. "Yes, I fucking remembered it."

Kravitz decided not to tease him for that. He set his glass down, rolled up his sleeves, and scooted towards one of the potter's wheels. "Are you going to make another bowl?"

"Nah, I think I'm going on-book this time." Taako's sleeves were so huge, he was able to pull them up to his shoulders. He must have had at _least_ three shirts and tunics on. What a disaster. "If you fuck up your vase beyond repair, we'll need _something_ cute to keep these flowers in."

"Then maybe _I_ should make the bowl."

"Kravitz, I didn't know you wanted a role reversal!" Taako scooted forward and turned on his wheel, pressing his thumbs into the clay as he used the foot pedal to get it spinning. "Does that just extend to the pottery?"

"Maybe, maybe not." Kravitz got his wheel started too, flashing a coy look over to his boyfriend. "We'll have to see where the night takes us."

"You're so fuckin' cute--" He leaned over to give him a kiss on the cheek, not able to do much else with his hands full of clay. "Love 'ya, you dork."

Nineteen.

"I do too," Kravitz said, and then laughed when he saw Taako pouting at him. "Don't look at me like that, you'll never catch up if I keep matching the words."

"I'm almost there."

"Because you said it about fifty times that one night." Kravitz turned his attention to his bowl, which was already coming out just as misshapen as his last venture into pottery. "I'd almost call that cheating."

Taako shrugged. "I can go back to not saying it at all, if that'd make you feel better."

"No, um--well, if you need to, stop saying it, then, I'd understand, but--"

"You don't have to be so--so accommodating, y'know." He spoke quietly, as if he was afraid someone would hear him if he expressed his affection too loud. "You can push a little more, I'll tell you if it goes too far."

"Then...no, Taako, I don't want to go back to...not hearing it."

Kravitz saw the wheels turning in Taako's head. Looked like he was trying to figure out whether he should answer genuinely or if he should tease him. Kravitz would be fine with either; Taako had been a lot more open lately, so it wasn't as if he was deprived of affection. He knew how far gone Taako was. But also, watching him trip over himself was cute.

"You'll never not hear it again," Taako said, opting for the more genuine answer.

"Hold on, I have to wrap my head around that horrible double negative you just did." Kravitz grinned wide, happy to see how emotionally wound up Taako could become after a bit of flirting. "Can you say that...more clearly?"

"I love you," he said, automatically and immediately. He opened his mouth to add something, but thought better of it. Instead, he said it again. "I love you."

Eighteen, seventeen.

That was a good enough answer. Kravitz didn't tease him any farther, happy enough to get a verbal affirmation of love. They dipped into silence for a couple minutes while they got started on their pottery. Kravitz needed to concentrate, since it didn't come naturally to him at all. Taako's vase already looked worlds better than Kravitz' bowl, and neither of them had gotten to the details yet. It was just so well shaped and well made. Kravitz' kept crumbling in his hands, unable to hold its own weight.

"Need any help with that, darling?" Taako asked, when Kravitz got a little too frustrated with the shape of his.

"Would you? I don't know what I'm doing." Kravitz scooted forward to allow Taako some room. He took it, sitting with his chest pressed up to Kravitz' back, guiding his hands to shape the bowl.

"Hmm, that's a clammy one," Kravitz said when Taako laid his hands on his.

Taako laughed, laid his chin on Kravitz' shoulder, and cuddled up closer. "Not for much longer, huh?"

"It will be a relief when you're alive again," he said, letting Taako's hands guide his. "I've missed hearing your heartbeat as you fall asleep."

"Creepy." He snorted. "But same."

Kravitz felt Taako's hands warming up as he helped shape the vase. He really had it bad. That was fair, because Kravitz was just as attached, but it was nice to be matched in his love.

"So..." Taako took Kravitz out of his thoughts. "You've had a good year?"

"The best," Kravitz said, unable to stop smiling. "I have no doubts that the next one with you will be even better, but...this will be tough to beat." He turned his head to watch Taako's expression. "Have you had a good year?"

"Oh, yeah, y'know, got. Got my sister back, got a sweet boyfriend, saved the world--" He stopped shaping the bowl for a moment, just taking a moment to hold Kravitz' hands. "And--this was such a kickass vacation."

"I'm sad to see it end, but I do have to get back to work." Kravitz smiled to himself. "It was... _nice_ staying with you for an extended period of time."

Taako hummed in acknowledgement. Once he got Kravitz' bowl standing upright and stable, he pulled away to go back to his vase. "Hey, where do you--where do you live?"

"Well...I don't. Nowhere." Kravitz continued on his bowl, careful not to undo any of Taako's work. "Before we started dating, I would put my soul in...sort of a temporary Sea of Souls when I wasn't out on bounties. It's relaxing, I suppose."

"Oh, cool," he said, although it seemed like that answer disappointed him somehow.

"Where do _you_ live? It doesn't seem like the shared house in Neverwinter is...a permanent thing."

"It isn't. I need something closer to the school." Taako kept his eyes on his vase as he spoke. He never liked making eye contact when talking about the future. "And--uh--I'd also like to, uh. Have Lup and Barry be close, that's--required. Maybe one of those townhouses that they cut in half? And give half to them. Maybe. I know I'm, like, fucking loaded, now, but. I'm not living in a goddamn mansion, I'd want something with a little _charm,_ y'know?"

"That sounds lovely. Can I visit?"

"You don't even have to ask." His hands moved off the vase. He put them in his lap, not caring if a little bit of clay got on his adventuring gear. Didn't matter, it was already stained with blood, dirt, and other questionable fluids. "In fact, I--kind of have a proposition for you."

"Oh?" Kravitz could read that tone. This sounded serious. He took his hands off his bowl. "Let's hear it."

"I don't know how much time off you get," he said in a rush. Must have been _very_ important--he fidgeted with every word, his ears flicking wildly. "But, would you, uh. Want to. Stay at my place when you're not hunting down death dodgers?"

"I'm sure we will have plenty of time to... _hang out?"_

"That's not what I mean." Taako scooted closer. He locked eyes with Kravitz'. It was difficult for him to keep that eye contact--his eyes kept trying to dart away--but he kept them steady. "I guess--I'm asking, if--when--when I buy, the, uh, the house. Would you--would you want your name--to, uh, sign your name on the--on the deed?"

Kravitz' entire heart swelled. "You're asking if I want to--"

"Move in with me, yeah." He looked away, unable to keep eye contact for any longer. "If you'd want that. Fuck, if you _can_ do that, I'm--not entirely sure if you can, if your goddess allows that, but. I hope you can."

"I _can_ , I'm--allowed to have a personal life, um--" Kravitz reached forward to take both of Taako's hands in his. "Taako, I would love to move in with you."

Taako stared down at their intertwined hands. "But?"

"No buts." Kravitz tilted Taako's chin up so they could look each other in the eyes. "I'm accepting your offer."

"Really?" Taako looked up at him like he hadn't even considered that Kravitz would say yes to this.

"Really. I--Taako, I haven't had a home in _centuries._ And I never much cared if I had one or not, until..." Kravitz moved to cup Taako's cheek in his hand. "I guess, until I started wanting that with you."

"Well, I--I, uh. Same here, I guess." He smiled and attacked Kravitz in an embrace, kissing him just a bit too fiercely for public space. Taako pulled away quick, already easing back into his detached demeanor. "Also, you basically lived in my room anyway, uh, before this vacation started, so it's not--it's not a huge logical leap, there."

"Still, thank you for offering. It's a big step."

"Guess so." Taako smiled again, unable to pretend that this wasn't important. "Just feels right, though."

"It does, doesn't it?" Kravitz moved his hands back to his bowl. "When would you want to move into a new place?"

"As soon as possible, m'man, I dunno how long I'd be able to stay in that huge-ass house."  Taako stopped spinning his vase. He put on some finishing touches, carving into the clay. "Like, it's fine when it's full, but, when it's empty it's. Not."

"I won't be able to see you for another couple months after I get back to work, because I've been gone so long..." Kravitz tried to get the walls of his bowl to be the same thickness, but it wasn't budging. "I wouldn't want you to be homeless or stay out in that big empty house for that long, so, go ahead and pick one without me."

"Oh." Taako's hand stuttered on the clay. "A couple months?"

The shakiness in his voice wasn't lost on Kravitz. He didn't like to be alone, especially since he recovered his memories. He had never _been_ alone, not until his ten years away from Lup. He had confided in Kravitz a few times, in the middle of the night, of his overwhelming fear of being alone.

"I apologize, it's not up to me." Kravitz knocked his shoulder against Taako's, the most physical he could get with two handfuls of wet bowl. "My schedule will go back to normal after a bit, but until then..."

"Will, uh, will Lup and Barry be gone for a few months, too?" He tried to hide that crack in his voice. He wasn't going to break down in public, obviously, but they would have a longer, more emotional conversation once they got back to the house.

"Yes, training takes a lot of time." Kravitz tried to come off as sympathetic, but Taako wasn't buying it. "I promise to call when I can, but--"

"It's--uh, it's fine, I. I've got a lot of work to do to set up the school, and all that shit." He focused on his vase, a scowl on his face. Fuck, maybe Kravitz should have told him about this sooner? He was getting better at reading Taako's unsaid emotions, but still didn't know what to do when he fucked up.

"I'll miss you," Kravitz said, meaning it in every bone, muscle, and nerve in his body.

"Yeah, same here..." Taako's ears dropped, which was a pretty big sign that things were Not Fine in a Big Way.

Kravitz took his hands off his bowl again. Comforting Taako with a hand on the shoulder was infinitely more important. "Are you sure you're going to be alright?"

Taako turned his chin upwards, shoulders pinned back. Trying his best to look unaffected. "Uh, of course, I'm surrounded by--by fuckin' _fans_ and _admirers--"_ His posture immediately went back into the gutter. Poor man suffered from horrible emotional whiplash. "--and also I can call Magnus or Merle. And Ren and I are working on that huge-ass project."

Before Kravitz could open his mouth to offer comfort, Taako already picked himself back up and went off on his next thought. "Any requests? 'Cause you can't be there to help pick. Location's gotta be pretty close to the school, so, that's, uh--that's already locked in, but..."

Kravitz didn't want to make a scene about this and put Taako on the spot in public (even if only one other person was in the room), so he allowed Taako to change the subject without pressing further. It was the least he could do for upsetting Taako so bad right before they were separated. "As long as you're there, I'd be fine living in a cardboard box."

"Sap." It worked, briefly, judging by Taako's fond smile. It didn't take long for him to jump right back into worry. "But, you're--you're sure you don't have any preferences at all?"

"Hm." Kravitz thought about it for a few moments. He wasn't just being sweet before, he really wouldn't care what house Taako chose. He hadn't had a home in so long, he'd take what he could get. And Taako wouldn't settle for less than perfection anyway, Kravitz trusted his judgment. Except, there was one thing-- "If there's a home office, I would be able to do my paperwork there instead of in the Astral Plane."

"You're allowed to do that?"

"Lots of bounty hunters have family in the Material Plane, I wouldn't be the first. And I'd enjoy the extra time at home."

"Alright, alright, I can make that happen." Taako wiped his hands off with a damp towel and took a good look at his vase. "I'm ready to bake this bad boy, if you're done with yours."

Kravitz looked down at his misshapen bowl and huffed. "It's as good as it's going to get, I think."

Taako hooked an arm around Kravitz' neck and inspected the bowl. "You really don't have a talent for this, do you?"

"I'm afraid not." Carefully, Kravitz picked up his creation. Taako moved to do the same. They walked towards the kilns together. "But it's a wonderful experience to share with you. Maybe if I do it more often, I'll get the hang of it."

Taako flagged the girl at the bar to come help them, handing off his vase to her and grinning at Kravitz. "Oh, no, we're only allowed to come to these places once a year."

"Still, after a few years I'll _have_ to get a little better." Kravitz gave his vase to the girl, too. She loaded both of them into the kiln and walked off, leaving them to wait for the firing.

"Maybe a couple hundred," Taako said, trying to come off as casual. Still, his ears twitched when he spoke about the distant future. It was good that he was thinking about it, but he still wasn't as comfortable with the idea as Kravitz was. He'd said multiple times that it was something he wanted, but he hadn't had enough time on Faerun to be entirely settled. He still felt like running.

"What are we going to do with all those bowls?" Kravitz asked, changing the subject--he knew when to give Taako an out in the conversation.

"Sell them for a stupid amount of gold, who do you take me for? Those are Taako™ Brand vases." Taako's face curled into a wild grin. "Sure, we can save the big anniversary ones, like, fifty and two hundred, but I'm not lining our whole house with vases."

"What a shame, 'too many vases' was my idea for the house decor."

"Try and pull that shit, and you'll stay in the guest room," he said, but wasn't very good at hiding his approval for that joke.

The two sat together while they waited for their creations to finish firing. Taako spoke about his plans for the school (he was going to make the children duel each other?), and what he'd do while Kravitz was away. Kravitz listened, of course, but he spent most of his higher cognitive function thinking about where this put him and Taako. Because of his weird work schedule, Kravitz wouldn't be able to wake up with him every morning, and there would be missions that would command him to be away for horribly painful amounts of time. He'd have to stay in the Astral Plane to recover from injuries. He could still be pulled away in the middle of his off time for emergency bounties. But the promise of a home--a home _with Taako--_ was well worth all that.

The feeling that Taako wasn't in this for the long haul was gone. He could see the two of them together for a long time.

Maybe even forever?

Taako hadn't asked about forever yet, but he had admitted he wanted to stay with Kravitz long after his death. The length of time Taako talked about spending with him kept getting longer. And now he wanted to live with Kravitz. He wouldn't have made that decision lightly. He wouldn't have made that decision if he wasn't thinking about bigger things with Kravitz.

Living together was normally a trial run for...bigger things. More permanent things.

He didn't know if marriage was something Taako thought about, or wanted. Kravitz would have to ask later. It was definitely something he wanted and dreamed about. When he died, people would meet and marry within a month, but he knew enough about modern culture to know things were different now. It took two or more years of dating, on average, before anyone pulled out a ring. He used to think that Taako wouldn't keep him for long enough for the two to get married, that he'd have someone else as his husband. But Taako allowed himself to be more open and vulnerable to Kravitz every day. He'd say wild things when talking about the future. He'd already talked about what he'd do if Lup and Barry ever decided to get a kid--and asked Kravitz what kind of uncle he'd be.

_"Uncle?"_

_"Y'know, 'cause...she's your sister too?"_

_"She's my coworker."_

_"Okay, well, she'll be your sister at **some** point."_

Fuck, that definitely meant that Taako thought about marriage too, right?

Not that Kravitz would ever dream of pushing him into it, but. It was a nice thought. Kravitz didn't fantasize about it too often, but he'd think of little details every once in a while. He'd want Taako to propose, just so that he could be sure that Taako really wanted to go through with it. They'd have to have a larger ceremony, Taako was practically royalty in this plane. Not that Kravitz wouldn't be shy from the attention, either. An entire day when he was not only allowed to gush over and affirm his love for Taako, but was expected to? That was everything he'd ever wanted. And, of course, Taako would look beautiful, and Kravitz would cry, and at least one guest would throw a metaphorical or literal wrench into the day's plans, but it would still be perfect. The napkins would be violet, and the centerpieces would--

Okay, maybe he _did_ fantasize about it a lot.

But with the way Taako acted, confident in his feelings and happy with them, Kravitz knew there was a big chance it would happen somewhere down the road. He would want it at some point, but he didn't need it right now. Now, he allowed himself to be happy with the step they just took together. They didn't need to rush.

Once the bowl and vase were fired, Taako slipped the bouquet into his vase and made Kravitz carry it. The bowl were much lighter, and he took that in his own hands, held it like it was Kravitz' beating heart. It was dark by the time they walked back to the house. Lup and Barry were still out. Taako kicked the door to the shared house open and huffed at Kravitz the moment they were in complete privacy.

"So, I'm thinking we should, uh... _talk_ about the whole, _you're gone for a few months and also you're taking my sister with you_ thing, but..." Taako set the bowl down on the kitchen counter. "If I'm being honest, I'd rather just. Put the time I've got with you to good use. I can yell at you when you get back."

"Again, love, I'm so sor--"

"If you have the time to apologize to me with words, you've got the time to apologize with your mouth and your hands and your--" He lifted the vase out of Kravitz' hands and placed it next to the bowl. "--y'know, whatever it is that makes you feel safe to cuddle up against."

Kravitz, now with his hands free, smiled and laid them on Taako's hips. "I think that just means you trust me."

"And I'll trust that you'll give me more than a night's warning when you're off on a mission that lasts more than a week after this." Taako tilted his head, a bit aggravated as he looked up at Kravitz. "Right?"

"Absolutely." Kravitz frowned, and pulled Taako closer. "You're sure you'll be alright?"

"Yeah. I can--I'll be good." Taako laid his ear to Kravitz' chest. "You'll try to call?"

"If not me, I'll see if I can't get Lup or Barry to."

"Good." Taako tore himself away from Kravitz' embrace. He tugged tight on his arm, towards the rooms. "Now, c'mon. Let's _go."_

Kravitz chuckled and walked out the kitchen. He didn't hear a second set of footsteps following him, and when he turned around, Taako was still in his same spot. "I don't see you moving."

"Because you're going to carry me." He held his arms out, expecting contact. "It's practice."

"Practice for what?" Kravitz asked, smiling as he scooped Taako up in his arms. Easy.

"I mean, we're probably going to get hitched at some point," he said, unable to push the nerves out of his voice. His arms went to hold Kravitz, not very tight--Taako trusted him not to drop him. "You've gotta get into Taako-carrying shape before then--I'm giving you a heads-up now so you can get to practicing."

Kravitz took in a sharp breath. He _had_ just been thinking about marriage, but he hadn't expected Taako to bring it up. "And how long do you think I'll have to practice?" he asked, knowing that it was best not to freak out too much over Taako's words.

"Dunno, ask again in five years." Taako didn't look Kravitz in the eye, tried not to dwell too much on the promise he was making right now. "But it's on the schedule. At some point."

"Good to know," he said, still keeping it _casual,_ didn't want to box Taako in on a promise he wasn't ready to make yet.

"Like, don't--don't think this is a proposal or anything, it's way too fuckin' early for that, but--" Taako finally turned to look at Kravitz, searching for something in his eyes, but ended with, "I love you."

Sixteen.

"Alright, then, I'll--we can talk about it again in five years," Kravitz said, unable to wipe the goofy smile he must have had on.

"Mark it on the calendar."

"If you change your mind before then--"

"I won't." Taako held on tighter. "I just need some time."

Kravitz pushed past the door to their  _(their!!!)_  bedroom, and carried Taako inside. He knew he'd have something with Taako for a long time, but after tonight everything felt permanent. Every kiss had a little bit more weight to it, every conversation was laced with promises of the future. It was comforting, and Taako didn't seem scared away by it either. Kravitz knew this was the last night he'd have off, so he allowed himself to stay awake longer than he should have--he wouldn't suffer any exhaustion when he was dead. He just wanted as much time as possible with Taako.

He would have that time. Taako already promised him that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> again, i won't be able to respond for a few days, but Feel Free To Yell at me, I'll see it when I get back!!! 
> 
> Thanks so much for all of your support as always. We're almost there! Only four more to go. I can't believe this turned into such a big project, this wasn't supposed to happen!!! not that i'm complaining.
> 
> next chapter, kravitz fucking dies


	26. Last Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako tries to get all his words out before Kravitz dies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 10k chapter............don't read if you're about to go to sleep!

Taako held a sleeping Kravitz under his arm. He wanted to stay awake the whole night. Didn't happen; he fell asleep around two in the morning, in the middle of a conversation. Taako laughed once he noticed that Kravitz had stopped responding, just completely clocked out on Taako's chest. He figured it would do him good to get some rest. Gave him some time to think on this whole...situation. The fact that he had a boyfriend that would be moving in with him. How that boyfriend didn't seem scared off when Taako made an offhand comment about marriage. He had a _right_ to be a little sentimental this morning.

But once light poured through the windows, Taako wanted to get the most out of his last day with Kravitz.

The dude had _plans._

First: he had to wake Kravitz up. A shame; he was so cute as he slept. It didn't take much to wake him, a few kisses to the cheeks and forehead got him blinking awake. It _did_ take more to make him stay awake, because seconds later he had his face turned away from Taako, his head buried into the pillow. Taako propped himself up on his elbows and got to work. He put a little more pressure on his kisses, laid them wherever Kravitz had free skin showing. Taako _knew_ the guy was awake, judging by the little laughs coming out of him, but he was putting up quite a fight.

Soon enough, Kravitz' eyes fluttered open, and he looked up at Taako. He smiled, soft and tired. Taako kissed him again, and since he was fully conscious now, he could reciprocate. It was sweet and quiet, neither of them in a hurry to get anything done.

"That's a pretty nice wake up call," Kravitz said once he pulled away. "You're wonderful."

Taako wondered if this guy was even _real_ sometimes. Who's that genuine before noon? "Geez, you sure know how to compliment a guy at eight in the morning." He pressed his forehead against Kravitz' shoulder. "Ready to die today?"

"As long as you're there." Kravitz nuzzled into the top of Taako's head, leaving kisses wherever he could. "I'd ask if you're ready to be brought back to life, but I think you've experienced it enough to be a professional."

"You goin' to take me to soul jail, then?" Taako picked up his head to grin at Kravitz.

"As hilarious it would be for Lup to be your warden, no." Kravitz chuckled, in that soft and relaxed way that put Taako at ease. "Do you have plans for today?"

"Thought you wouldn't ask, handsome." Taako kissed him one more time, pulled away before he got too invested in it. "What time're you dying?"

"I think I picked you up at eight? So it would be sometime around then--when you put the paper in your pocket."

"Cool, so we've got the whole day." Taako pulled himself off of Kravitz, ignoring the whines his boyfriend made as they separated. "You okay with spending the day with Lup and Barold? We got our night yesterday."

"Oh no, you're making me spend time with your family," Kravitz said in mock annoyance. His smile gave away the act. "Yes, Taako, I'm alright with it. I like them."

"Nice, I'm gonna go make breakfast." Taako hooked his feet over the bed and conjured some clothes. That's one thing he would miss about being dead. The convenience. "Meet you in the kitchen?"

"As soon as I get dressed." Kravitz held his hand out, asking without words, and Taako threw a pair of clean boxers into it. Didn't want to use the ones from last night, Taako wasn't _that_ disgusting.

"Love you," Taako said as he left the room. He turned around to see Kravitz beaming before closing the door.

Ten.

Taako slipped into the kitchen, not surprised to see that it was empty. He wasn't sure when Lup and Barry got back from their outing, but they wouldn't be awake for a while. Maybe some breakfast smells would get them in here. He _really_   needed to see as much of his sister as possible before he she would leave for her extended training.

Pancakes would always get her awake on the Starblaster, Barry loved anything the twins cooked up, and he knew Kravitz had a slightly obsessive love of syrup, so that was his best choice. He made the batter from scratch, of course, he wasn't a fucking animal. If Taako found one more boxed pancake mix in these cabinets, he'd strangle Merle. Except, Merle wasn't here, only two of the universe's greatest chefs, so no boxed mix was found.

As soon as he poured the first pancake out, those good smells filled the room. By the time he had the first batch done, a pair of strong arms wrapped around his waist and a beautiful face perched on his shoulder.

"Smells nice," Kravitz said, holding Taako from behind.

"Wow, I ask you to live with me and you immediately launch into this sickeningly domestic shit?" Taako flipped a cake. Kravitz' hold on him loosened, and Taako hissed until he held him again. "Who told you to stop?"

"I thought you did."

"I wasn't complaining, just..." Taako waved his spatula in the air, gesturing with it like it was his hand. "Fuckin', pointing it out."

Kravitz smiled and kissed Taako's neck. "So you like it?"

"I'm letting you do it," he said, but arched his neck up so Kravitz would have better access to it.

"That's a yes, then." Kravitz laughed, pressing more kisses wherever he could lay them. "Good, because I like doing it."

"Whatever, love you too."

Nine.

"You're getting awfully close," Kravitz said, fiddling with the ties on Taako's shirt. Not trying to undo them--not when the family could walk in at any moment--but it was an idle motion he could use his hands for.

"Mhmm." Taako flipped a pancake high into the air, catching it in the pan perfectly. He didn't do that when he was alone, but Kravitz was here, so he figured he could put on a bit of a show. "I've gotta get 'em all out before the end of today."

"That's quite a sendoff. You're going to be sappy in front of your family?"

"Lup fucking deserves it. You have no idea how gross she was with Barry when they first got together."

"If you say so." Kravitz watched the pancakes, enamored with Taako's work. Taako grinned, turned up the theatrics a bit. Kravitz gasped and laughed as he watched, completely captured in the performance. Taako pulled out all his old tricks. Measuring ingredients with his bare hands. Flipping things from one pan and catching them with another. Nothing that involved magic or transmutation, because he wasn't there yet, but just the physical comedy. Some of the routines were more difficult with a man around his waist, but Kravitz didn't seem to mind when Taako flubbed a maneuver.

They were both taken out of their nice standing cuddling and pancakes session when Lup kicked the door open, hollering once she saw the position the two were in.

"Alright Ghost Rider, hands off, nobody needs to see that!"

Taako turned his head to glare at Kravitz. "If you let go, I'll kill you. Don't listen to her."

Kravitz looked at Taako, then at Lup, trying his best to weigh his options. After a moment, he held onto Taako tighter. "Sorry, Lup, I seem to be a hostage."

"Geez, if I knew you were going to be attached this morning, I wouldn't have bothered walking in." Lup squeezed past Kravitz to work with Taako at the oven. She shot him a concerned look and asked, "you worried he's going to be gone for so long?"

"That's not it," Taako said, handing Lup a spatula so she could actually do something. "But, also, fuck you for knowing that and not telling me."

"Didn't want to upset you, I was doing you a _favor."_ Lup watched Taako, saw the unimpressed look on his face, and buckled. "Augh, fine, sorry. But what _is_ this all about?"

"He asked me to move in with him last night," Kravitz said, barely able to contain his excitement.

"Huh. I thought it'd take you longer to get your head out of your ass. Good job, doofus." Lup smiled as she got to work, and she turned her head to speak when she heard the kitchen door open behind her. "Hey, Barry, the boys are moving in together."

"Oh, congratulations," Barry said, still half asleep as he made his way to the table. "That didn't take very long."

Taako huffed. "Not all of us are fifty year slow burn people, Barold."

"Not all of us are 'bear out your soul to a guy on the first date' people, Taako." Barry smiled, and Lup laughed so hard it sounded like her lungs could collapse. Taako hit her with his spatula.

"It worked out," he grumbled.

"Sure did, but, c'mon. Who knew you'd be so much of a goddamn sap?" Lup lifted her eyes to look at Kravitz. "Not that he's any better."

"Do you have a problem with how I'm treating your brother?" Kravitz asked, knowing the answer already. He smiled and held Taako closer, which Taako appreciated greatly.

"No, you can both be insufferable together." Lup stretched her hand out, grabbing at the bowl of batter Taako kept to his side. "Gimmie some batter."

"People who make fun of my fucking love life don't get to make pancakes," he said, but handed her the bowl anyway. He wasn't about to do all of this work by himself.

Lup, thankfully, stayed quiet for the rest of the flipping. Taako did his best to work on the pancakes with Kravitz latched onto his back, but now with Lup and Barry watching them and snickering whenever Taako tried to flirt, it was awful distracting. He elbowed Kravitz away from him after the second burnt pancake.

"This is actually getting difficult, babe, go sit with Barold."

Kravitz whined, pulling in closer. "The table's so _far away."_

Taako sat down his spatula, turned around in Kravitz' arms, and kissed him square on the lips. Nothing racy, his sister was _right there._ It was enough to put the man in a daze, and enough for Taako to convince him to go sit with Barry without much complaint.

"Love you," he said, to give Kravitz a little something extra as he walked away.

Eight.

Taako ignored the whoops and hollers Lup yelled out. She'd lose her voice if she did that every time Taako showed affection for his boyfriend.

With the pancakes placed in delicate stacks on their plates and the syrup portioned out perfectly, Taako finally allowed his family to eat. Lup and Kravitz were debating whether centaurs were half-human and half-horse, or if they were separate creatures entirely. Taako zoned out of the conversation the second they started speculating about people fucking horses. Too messed up for him. It wasn't even an offhand comment, either, they were both really passionate about the topic of horse sex. It was clear that neither of them approved of it or wanted to do it, but they did spend an extended amount of time dunking on anyone that would want to. Barry had a little trouble eating while they spoke about it, sharing embarrassed glances with Taako. Once Lup brought up horse lube, Taako kicked her in the shin and stared both of them down.

"Executive decision: No horse-fucking conversations at the table."

"It's not like either of us _wants_ to fuck a horse," Lup said, shoving a forkful of pancakes into her mouth. "Just making fun of sick fucks that _would_ want to."

"I'm pretty sure centaurs are in an entirely different evolutionary category, anyway." Kravitz stared at his plate, lost in thought. It would be cute if the subject matter wasn't utterly terrifying. "Having sex with a horse isn't even a little bit appealing."

"Babe, let me say, I'm _so stoked_ that you aren't, like, fucking any animals in your spare time, but this _isn't the time."_ Taako pushed his plate away from him. He didn't need to eat right now, and the conversation turned him off of food _forever._ " Change the fucking subject, I think Barold's about to vomit."

"Sorry, Barry." Kravitz coughed, nodding his head toward Barry. Thankfully, he asked a question before Lup could make fun of him for buckling so quick. "Is there anything the two of you want to do before you die?"

Taako groaned. "Great, that's such a lighthearted breakfast conversation topic."

Lup waved him off. The question didn't seem to bother her--actually, the opposite. "Well, it's not like there's much we _can't_ do once we go ghost, right?" She tilted her head, humming as she thought. "I mean, we could go to Merle's place and touch all his holy symbols."

"Maybe not, they'd sting even though we're not dead right now." Now that they weren't talking about horse sex, Barry was able to pick up his fork and eat more pancakes. "We're still running on a good amount of necrotic energy."

"I'm not even sure we have time to do much fun shit, we've got to get ready for tonight," Lup said. "I'm stealing this dumbass away for a couple hours so we can cook."

Barry frowned. "Please don't tell me you're making an eight course meal."

Lup blinked at him, confused. "What else would we do, Barry?"

"You're going to kill Magnus." Barry noticed the confused look on Kravitz' face. Of course, he hadn't spent a hundred years with Magnus, and didn't understand why a lovely meal from the twins would kill him. "He'll eat until he dies, he hates leaving food on the plate," Barry explained.

"Oh, thank you." Kravitz joined in on Barry's disappointment on the twins, frowning at Lup. "I have to stress that if you kill Magnus, I won't be able to bring him back into the Material Plane."

"Ugh, fine." Taako waved a hand in the air. "Three courses."

"That means we have to change the whole plan, then!" Lup let out a long whine, dragging her hands down her face. "We probably don't have everything we'd need."

"I'd have to go out to get fresh meat anyway. It wouldn't matter if we changed it."

"Guess not..." Lup balled her napkin up and threw it on her plate. She stood and grabbed Taako's arm, tugging it so hard he fell out of his chair. "Alright, breakfast's over. It's planning time."

Barry covered his mouth to hide a laugh. "Well, looks like we won't see them for the rest of the day."

"Don't talk about me like I'm--like I'm not even here!" Taako picked himself off the floor, using Lup as an anchor. "It won't be the whole day."

"If we're not out in an hour, you both have full authority to barge into the room." Lup leaned over to press a kiss to the top of Barry's head before heading out the room. "Love you."

"Love you too, Lup," Barry said, watching her leave with a sickeningly sweet look on his face.

A sickeningly sweet look that Kravitz matched, eyes fixated on Taako. He looked like he was waiting for Taako to leave him with a kiss and a couple nice words too.

"...What?" Taako shrugged, backing away towards the door. "If I say it now, it sounds like I'm copying them."

Kravitz kept grinning, a little cocky and overconfident. He was cute when he got like that. "You're also running out of time to get them all out by the end of the day."

"Oh, fine, you're pulling my arm--" Taako ran back over to press a disgusting, sloppy kiss to Kravitz' cheek. When he pulled back, he saw the face of a man that regretted every decision he ever made in life or death. Taako laughed as he walked out the door. "See you in an hour, Krav, love you."

Seven.

True to their word, the twins only spent an hour on planning.

...the first course, at least.

They knew they were fucked when Barry and Kravitz popped through the door. Kravitz seemed worried, but Barry had been in this exact situation a million times before. He held a box of recipe cards in one hand and sat down in between the twins, ending their bickering and suggesting recipes that they had already done millions of times before. _No need to reinvent the wheel_ , he said, over and over again until Taako threatened to strangle him. Kravitz stayed to the walls, not sure what his role in this situation was. Taako suspected they were planning on pulling a _good cop, bad cop_ routine, but it came out more as _hardass cop, nervous cop._

Whatever. Taako could be full of drama, but he knew when a battle wasn't worth fighting. This was his and Lup's last meal alive together, so he just let her make all the decisions. She was the one dying, after all.

And she was also the one that didn't have access to magic clothes, so Taako was the one tasked with buying all the ingredients at the market while she got ready for their guests. It was still early in the morning, but once they got cooking she wouldn't have much time to ready herself. Taako thought about bringing Barry to carry his groceries, since he didn't need much time to put together his horrendous looks. But then he looked at Kravitz' arms again, and then got caught checking him out. So obviously, he asked him to come help him carry shit to save face.

Also because, again, _those arms._

Those arms were able to hold a lot of bags, and Kravitz didn't complain even when Taako balanced a bag of apples in between his shoulder and a bag of brisket. He smiled and walked with Taako the whole way, happy to be _there,_ with him, doing something as mundane and boring as grocery shopping. Eventually, Taako took pity on him and teleported the groceries they already bought back to the house, and Kravitz gave him an unimpressed look.

"Why didn't you do that earlier?"

"I like to see my boy in action." He smiled, feigning innocence. "I might have forgotten I had that spell."

He couldn't stay mad for long, not with Taako acting so cute, and he burst out into laughter. He linked arms with Taako after that. His arms were nicer when Taako was able to hold onto them. And Kravitz made better company when he was able to interact with the space around him. It was like he hadn't been at a market before. He was impressed at every stall, losing his shit over every modern thing he came across.

"You've really never seen seedless grapes?"

"I haven't gone grocery shopping in centuries." Kravitz inspected the grapes, never touching them--didn't want the merchant to yell at them for touching and not buying. He eyed them like a scientist waiting for their experiment to take hold, eyes watching each individual grape. "Even living for six months, I'm sure I'm still missing some luxuries of living."

"Eh, you'll get them on the next one." Taako laid his hand on Kravitz' back. He didn't take his eyes off the grapes. Cute. "That's in, like, five hundred years, right?"

"Yes, that would be the next time I'd be able to do this." Kravitz turned his head to look up at Taako, tearing his attention away from the grapes. He smiled, coy and teasing. "You'll be _old."_

Taako scoffed. "I'll never get old."

"Well, considering the alternative, I think you _will."_ Kravitz stood up straight, kissed Taako's cheek on the way up. "I'm sure you'll age gracefully."

"Yeah, well, it's not like I'm a human or anything." Taako grabbed one of the bushels of grapes and handed a coin off to the merchant. "Elf aging is only noticeable if you're paying attention."

"I'm always paying attention to you."

"Laying the praise on a little thick today, aren't you?" Taako handed the grapes over to Kravitz.

"Just giving you something to think about while I'm gone." Kravitz smiled as he took the grapes. He twisted one of them off the vine and inspected it, squishing it in between his fingers. "With all the house hunting and the school set up, I'm sure the months will fly by fast enough. You might not even notice I'll be gone."

"I'll notice." Taako tore off one of the grapes and popped it into his mouth. "You'll come back as soon as you can?"

"I promise you I will."

"Well, that's fine. I guess." Taako let out an overdramatic, put-upon sigh, and then flashed a coy grin in his boyfriend's direction. "When you get back, though, you're all mine."

Kravitz fucking _beamed_ at him, impossibly sweet. "I wouldn't imagine being anywhere else at this point."

"Such a fucking sap. I'm into it." Taako took off another one of the grapes for himself. "I love you," he said, not even thinking about it.

Six.

"You're not going to distract me with words just so you can steal another grape from me," Kravitz said, holding the bushel away from Taako.

"I paid for them."

Kravitz huffed and put the bushel back into his hands. "Then you get to carry them. I want to see what else they have." He popped one more into his mouth and ran off, a few tents away.

"You--" Taako laughed, adjusted the hat on his head, and chased Kravitz through the market stalls. Kravitz turned to see how far behind Taako was, ran just a bit faster than he could catch up to. Eventually, he got lost in the crowd. Not a big deal--Taako would find him again, probably. Hopefully. He passed by a few carts that he really needed ingredients from, sure, but that didn't mean Taako was actively searching for Kravitz. Taako wasn't afraid that he'd leave. He'd show up at some point. But he didn't enjoy being apart from him when he was going to leave for such an extended period of time.

After a couple minutes of searching, Kravitz walked through a big bulk of crowd, his face lightening when he saw Taako.

"I'm sorry, love, I didn't think I'd get caught behind that group."

"It's cool." Taako handed him the bushel of grapes and walked back towards some of the carts he passed. He really needed some of this stuff. "Not like I'm convinced you're going to leave me in a market."

"I'd never dream of it." Kravitz balanced the grapes in one of his hands and reached down to hold one of Taako's. A small gesture, but it was _contact._ It was proof that Kravitz was solid, and here, and _his._ Some people's heads turned. It was widely known that Taako From T.V. had a boyfriend, but Kravitz' identity was mysterious (for good reason). Still, Taako liked showing off. And Kravitz was good for showing. They looked good together, or at least that's what they were told. Kravitz would get stopped in public rarely, only when he was with Taako like this. He didn't like the questions, but Taako came up with wildly different explanations for Kravitz' job every time. They'd laugh about it together.

Once Taako bought all of what he needed and sent it back to the house with magic, he considered staying a while. Just to take this walk with his boyfriend. But Lup would chew him out if he did, she'd complain that he wasn't there to help with the meal, so he tugged Kravitz back in the direction of the house.

"You look comfortable," Kravitz said as they walked out of the market.

"Don't know what you mean."

"I mean...well, when we first started dating, I had assumed you liked a bit of distance. And, of course, I loved you before everything that happened." Kravitz squeezed his hand harder. "But, Taako, it's like--there's no comparison between our first few dates and now. It's night and day. It's--so nice to see you relax."

"Guess that's what happens when a fish steals a hundred years of a dude's memories," Taako said. It was a deflection, and Taako knew it. Kravitz knew it.

"...Are you comfortable? Now?" he asked, knowing he was about to dip into a minefield.

"With this, or just life in general?"

"Both."

"Life in general's not bad, like, there's room for improvement there. Still need to get those enrollment numbers up, maybe I can make some--some cross-promotional deal to get the word out." Taako held on tighter to Kravitz, afraid that if he let go, he'd leave. "I've got--I've got shit to do, and people to see, and. I guess. It's nice to be--y'know, to be. An actual resident of a planet. Instead of. The big, bad, vore-y alternative."

"Sure." Kravitz kissed his temple. "You have time to settle into life on this plane."

Taako nodded. "And for us, that's--" He froze, unsure of how to put this without scaring the shit out of his boyfriend. "Of course, I'm _happy,_ and, good, and shit, but. It's not something I ever thought of having."

"Is that bad?"

"Listen, if you went back in time and told...I don't know, forty, fifty-year-old me? That I had a stable relationship? He'd laugh in your fuckin' face." He took off his had to run a hand in his own hair, pulling his braid loose. Couldn't think with everything on his head covered and tight. "Hell, if you went back to my college days, I'd still laugh. On the Starblaster, too. After Lup got with Barold, I mean, I was happy for Lup, but I didn't get--didn't really understand-- _why?_ Obviously it was important to her, and, Barry was a really good friend, so. I wasn't going to say that out loud to her."

Kravitz nodded along. "You supported them even though you didn't think you'd want it for yourself?"

"Exactly, that's--that's a good way of putting it. I never thought--thought I'd want that. Even if you asked me--fuckin'--right before this vacation, I'd probably--I'd say there was no chance. Taako's not letting himself be tied down because of some--of a little bit of--you." He slowed down, watching Kravitz out of the corner of his eye. Hoping he wouldn't get offended or scared. "But now that I'm--here? I. I do want that. A lot. And I don't know if that's because I don't have to run anymore, or if now that I've got my memories back I'm--better? I can't psychoanalyze myself and tell you why, but, _something's_ different and--and I'm good. With us."

"I still think I need help with the whole, 'being a person with emotions' and shit, but. I gotta say, I'm way better off right now than I ever was." Taako put his hat back on, mostly to hide his face. He laughed his nerves away. "What was your question? I forgot, I just--that was a tangent. Sorry. Yeah, I'm comfortable. With this."

Kravitz fixed Taako's hair under his hat and smiled. "Thank you for being honest with me."

"Not like it's hard to do with you." Taako slapped Kravitz lightly on the back, pointing in the direction of the house. "Let's get back into it, I wasn't expecting to--fuckin', lay out my soul to you on the way back from the market."

"I can't wait to see it again," he said, strangely wistful.

"Pssh, what?" Taako stopped walking altogether, confused as fuck. What the hell was that supposed to mean? "You trying to kill me for real?"

"Oh, no, I--I can see them. Usually. When I'm hunting bounties, and such."

Taako relaxed. Good. That was--well, it wasn't normal, but it was normal for Kravitz, and Taako could get used to it. "Sweet, how's mine look?"

"Beautiful." Kravitz stared at him, all happy and doe-eyed. "It's my favorite."

Taako smiled back, softer than what he usually wore. Fuck. Kravitz was rubbing off on him. Emotionally. But then his curiosity took over, and it was time for Taako to take out the questions. "When you were chasing us in the lab, that's--the floaty ball thing, that was you, right?"

"Yes, Taako, that was me."

"Does it take energy to make yourself be a person?"

"A little bit, but nothing that would exhaust me." He thought for a moment, and then amended his statement. "Well, sometimes at work, it _does_ get a little tiring."

"Well, if you want to just be chilling as a ball of soul energy at home, knock yourself out." Taako pinched his cheek, pulled on it endearingly. "Don't gotta put on the cute face all the time. You don't get _my_ cute face 24/7 anymore, so, you can kick it in glow mode if you want."

"Oh--thank you, that's. Very good. I would like to...relax a little at home." Kravitz took Taako's hand away from his cheek, not appreciating the gesture at all. He did hold the hand in his, though. Needed that contact. "Especially if I come back from a difficult bounty."

"Feel free, then. Possess the oven if you want, too, I don't give a shit."

"Even if I possess the oven, I won't be any better of a cook."

"Good, 'cause I can't have you upstaging me."

Kravitz chuckled. They walked in silence for a couple of blocks before Kravitz' voice turned hesitant. "If you remember my soul form, could you tell me what you thought of it?"

"Little white light that flew into mounds of crystal? Yeah, it was nice. I'd rather see it at home, in a different context, but it was pretty." Taako furrowed his brow, thinking of how the physics of his soul-light boyfriend would work. "Quick question, is it--can I, like, hold it? Is that possible?"

"Your fingers would pass right through it, but I'd be able to feel it. I wouldn't be opposed to the idea, though." Kravitz laced their fingers together. "It's the only part of me that's always warm."

"We'll have to try it when you get back."

"I would love to." This time, Kravitz was the one that came down to pinch Taako's cheek. "I can't believe you're so ready to cuddle a ball of light."

"Well, babe, if I'm going to date an emissary of death, then I'm going to go all out." Taako bat his hand away, having no patience for the cheek pulling. Even if he _did_ just do it to Kravitz a few seconds earlier. "Be kind of a shitty boyfriend if I made you expend energy to look handsome for me all the time."

"I suppose so." Kravitz lasted all of three steps before he uttered out an, "I love you, Taako."

"Fuck, I love you, don't throw off my count like that! I'm on a tight schedule today!" Despite his chiding, Taako was laughing, giggling up in every word. "I love you," he said, once he got his composure back.

Five.

* * *

When they first planned out their last day, Lup wanted to stage a public funeral and then possess the guests with the powers granted by the Raven Queen. Kravitz shot down this idea immediately. The public couldn't know that Lup and Barry worked for the Raven Queen. Instead, they settled for a quiet afternoon with the original Starblaster crew. If they told any of their other friends, they may have worried--Lup and Barry _were_ going to die, for real and for good. But the Starblaster was used to death. Lup and Barry would be more stable under the Queen's watch. This would be the safest they'd be in over thirty years. Only the crew would understand that.

Taako and Kravitz came back from the market just as Davenport arrived. He was a lot more welcoming to Kravitz this time, chatting with him about Lup and Barry's procedure as they walked through the door. He asked almost as many questions as Taako did when Kravitz first pitched the idea of turning his family into bounty hunters.

Thankfully, Taako didn't have to listen to their nerd conversation very long. Lup pulled him into the kitchen, offering Davenport a quick greeting before they left. She already started on dinner, and pushed Taako over to the fridge.

"Can you do some grating and chopping? Gotta put those ice hands to good use," she said, and then immediately went to season the huge slab of brisket Taako bought earlier.

"Giving me the sucky tasks, got it, don't want ol' Taako to do the glamorous work." Even with all his complaining, though, he went right to work. He didn't have to ask her what she needed done. He could tell just by looking at how far along she was.

"Only 'cause you're better at portioning than I am." Lup grabbed a handful of spices with a name too fancy to say without slipping up and sprinkled them on. "And also, you'd be a shitty brother if you didn't let me do all my favorite parts on _my last day alive."_

Taako stepped over to the sink to wash his hands. "If you think compliments will get you anywhere, you're absolutely right."

Lup laughed, and went back to her seasoning. It was a large brisket, so it took a while to make sure the whole thing was correct. Taako was still chopping and grating when she finished. She slipped it into the oven, and then approached Taako with her hands behind her back, the way she always did when she was about to break some bad news. "So, Lucretia's coming in an hour."

"Sure," he said, wanting this conversation to be as short as possible. He didn't take his eyes off the cheese he grated.

"Don't do anything stupid."

"Perish the thought." Stupid? He wouldn't do anything stupid with Lucretia in the room. He might do something mean and irredeemable (which, in his mind, she deserved fully), but not _stupid._ "Fine, whatever, I'll be good."

Taako assumed she'd drop the subject once he gave her an answer, but she still stood there, hands behind her back. _Not this._ This wasn't the time to have this conversation. "Are you mad I invited her?" she asked, in a tone that was so difficult for Taako to hear, it could have been weaponized.

"It's _your_   death party, not my business." He wasn't lying, Taako genuinely didn't give two shits about Lucretia being near his space. He just didn't want to interact. She could do whatever the fuck she wanted around him, as long as he wasn't involved. "I'm not talking to her."

"Okay." Lup stayed quiet for a long time, something still on her mind. "It'd make me happy if you tried."

"It'd make me vomit if I tried." Taako kept his focus on grating, but he heard the front door open from the other room. "I'll greet her at the door, that's it."

"Good enough for now, I guess." Lup turned her head, also aware of the commotion at the front door. She moved away, speaking carefully. Like comforting a horse. "I think there's more here now. I should say hi."

"Mhmm, I'll be in here." _By myself,_ he thought, but didn't add. This wasn't the time to guilt trip his sister. Normally, he would, but it wasn't her fault she was leaving for so long. And she wasn't leaving the house, she was just going to speak with the rest of the crew. He'd be fine as long as he could hear her voice in the other room. If he was going to be alone, he needed that background chatter.

Lup was out the door for less than a second before Kravitz took her place.

"Oh, I see what you're doing," he said, playfully, even though he was thankful he wasn't alone in the room for long. "Afraid to leave me alone?"

"Lup and I did agree to have at least one of us with you today, but not because we don't trust you." Kravitz walked over and leaned over the island, watching Taako work. He didn't hold him as close as that morning, knowing that there was a chance that someone other than Lup and Barry could walk in and tease them endlessly. "If you'd like me to give you some privacy, I will."

"No, you're good, I'm not chasing you away." Taako moved his cutting board to the island so he could face Kravitz. "It's nice cooking with--uh, with you in the room."

"You're sure?"

"It's--comfortable." He winked. "Also, I like an audience."

"Good, because I enjoy watching you." Kravitz laid his chin in his hands, smiling over the island. "You really turn it into an art."

"Geez, I know I'm getting in all of my words before you die, but you're squeezin' in fifty pounds of sap into a ten pound bag." Taako put out a finger before Kravitz could offer a retort. "Not a complaint, babe, an observation. You've got permission to adore me."

"That's a relief." Kravitz let out a breath. "I'm having trouble keeping it in today."

"Keeping in the sap?"

"Yes." He fiddled with one of his braids. "With...everything we both said last night, can you blame me?"

"Not even a little bit." Taako put down the grater and stepped out from the island. "C'mere."

Kravitz was next to him in an instant, smiling down at him like he was the most important thing in the world. And, really, how could Taako not pull him down for a kiss with that look on his face? It was more smiles and teeth than actual kissing, but it was still _nice,_ still...it was still Kravitz.

Kind of fucked up how much he enjoyed these shitty smiling kisses these days.

Or, not fucked up. That was a good thing.

"I love you," he said, his face still inches away from Kravitz'.

Four.

"I'm sorry, you think _I'm_ the sap today?" Kravitz asked, and pulled Taako closer.

"Told you, I'm on a schedule." Taako kissed him again, a little more skillfully than the last one. Didn't last long--seconds later, Kravitz put himself into a laughing fit, and it was too difficult for Taako to shove his tongue down a dude's throat when he laughed so hard. He pulled away, watched Kravitz giggle and snort his way into insanity. Taako joined him, the laughter infectious.

"I--I fuc--I lo--love you--" he sputtered out, still laughing.

Three.

That one wasn't on purpose, not like some of the ones he planned on sprinkling out through the day, but. Sometimes they just came out on their own. Kravitz seemed to favor the unplanned ones, anyway.

"It just seems excessi--" Kravitz laughed as Taako pressed another kiss to his cheek. "Excessive!"

"No, nope!" Taako kept kissing him, quick ones all over his face. "I had to endure so much of _this_ with you, you're just getting a taste of your own medicine."

"You--yo--you're _ridiculous,"_ he said through giggles. He played along with the burst of affection, until it had gone on for five minutes without stopping. "Love, what if--your sister would make fun of you if she walked in."

"Nobody's walking in, they're all cooing over Lup, probably." With that, Taako got back to work, kissing Kravitz light and innocent.

It lasted for all of thirty seconds before the kitchen door slammed open.

"Taako! We got here, like, ten minutes ago and we haven't see--whoa." Magnus froze at the door. He looked to be blocking it, but Merle scooted past his legs into the kitchen. Magnus pulled Merle by his shirt collar, away from the scene. "This is a bad time, isn't it?"

"Is that sanitary?" Merle asked, nose scrunched up.

"I told you somebody would find us," Kravitz whispered.

Taako groaned, stepped away from Kravitz, and glared at Merle and Magnus. "What's all this about?"

"Tres Horny Boys huddle." Magnus smiled, eyes darting between Kravitz and Taako. "We can come back, if you're busy."

"I immediately regret calling us that." Taako pinched the bridge of his nose, already at the end of his rope with these two. Between Magnus and his incredible reverence of couples and Merle's wariness of romantic commitment, Taako was caught between two different types of insufferable teasing. "No, it's fine. Just. Tell me what's up."

Magnus spoke quietly to Kravitz, more polite than Taako had ever heard him. "Can we get a moment alone?"

"Of course." Kravitz stole one quick kiss and left the kitchen. "I'll be back soon, love."

"Mhmm, miss you." Taako waved him away, fighting the smile he knew was forming on his face. It went away as soon as he saw Magnus' goofy smile and Merle's disgust. He put his hands on his hips, as detached as he could possibly be. "What's got you two so horny for Taako time?"

"First, gross." Magnus rolled his eyes. "Second, I uh, I know that giving Lup away to a goddess is hard for you, so I got you a present!" He dug into his bag and held out a little box made out of birch.

_"We_ got you a present," Merle said, a smug look on his face.

Magnus elbowed him. "You didn't help me with this at all, old man!"

Taako kept his eyes on the box, but didn't take it. "This sounds like a trap."

Merle laughed. "It is."

"It's _not!"_ Magnus huffed, and then held out the box so Taako could see it better. He demonstrated how to open it, with a little latch on the fake lock. "Look, it's a little box that locks, and you can put your expensive components in it so that nobody can take them from you."

Reluctantly, Taako took the box. He turned it over in his hands a few times, inspecting it. Sure, it was pretty, and it was definitely Taako's style, but he didn't understand _why_ Magnus made it for him. "Kind of looks like the pouch Istus gave me."

"Your eyes screwed up, kid?" Merle reached up and tapped the box with his nail so Taako could hear the echo of fingernail on wood. "It's not a pouch. It's a box."

"No, he's right, I carved out the same embroidery that was on the pouch, look--"

"Whatever, thanks, Magnus, it was a thoughtful gift. Sure." Taako clasped the box between both his hands, drumming his fingers on the side. "Don't need you to give me a play-by-play on how you made it."

Magnus grinned and elbowed Taako with no subtlety. "Also, I slipped something _in_ the box."

"Gold?"

"No."

"Drugs?"

"Just-- _open it,_ instead of asking."

Taako shrugged and pulled the latch on the fake lock. The box sprung open, quick and mechanical--oh, actually, that would have some real practical uses in battle--but Taako barely had a second to think about the mechanics of the box before he saw what Magnus had placed inside.

"Nnnnnope," he said, shutting the box immediately. Sure, he had a...well, sort of a conversation about marriage with Kravitz, but that didn't mean he was comfortable opening a box and seeing a fucking _engagement ring_ staring up at him.

"What?" Magnus looked incredibly too sad for someone that just broke the Fantasy Olympic record for jumping to conclusions.

Taako shook his head as forcefully as he could and dumped the box back into Magnus' hands. "You did this to Carey, I'm not falling victim to this."

"I told you he wouldn't like it," Merle said, side-eyeing Magnus.

Magnus looked down at the box, inspecting it for imperfections. "But why not? Is there something wrong?" He stopped, eyes wide. "Is there something wrong with you and Kravitz?"

Merle stuck his nose in the air. "They had a fight at the beach."

"That was _months_ ago, they seemed pretty chummy at New Year's," Magnus said.

"No, everything's _fine,_ I'm just--that's not something I'd--" 

"Yeah, Maggie, he's an eternal bachelor." Merle smiled, somehow sage and horny at the same time. "I understand."

"If anything, you're a _negative_ bachelor. I can't count on my _hand_ how many people you're seeing right now." It was true--even after his divorce and the subsequent indifference Merle had for committed relationships, he was getting _around._ Not something that Taako liked to think about, honestly. "Listen, it's just not something tha--"

"I know it's not something that you've ever talked about, at least with us. But, Taako, if you really like him, I think you should consider it."

"But, again, it's not for everyone." Merle looked up at Taako, sage and calm. "Just because Lup settled down doesn't mean you should feel forced to, kid."

"Stop fuckin' interrupting me, you're not _listening."_ This was the worst. Taako wished he had his hat so he could pull it over his ears. "I appreciate _this--_ actually, scratch that, no I don't, because this is a _huge_ leap in judgment, and also this ring wouldn't match his skin tone--but we're not getting married right now."

"Right now?" Merle and Magnus both asked, with two opposite reactions.

"Like, whatever, we talked about it, kind of, planned for the vague, distant future. That's fine. But nobody's--nobody's proposing right now. Don't get all excited." Taako fought the heat that rose to his cheeks as he admitted something so personal to the both of them--not that he didn't trust them, but, he could barely get through this conversation with his boyfriend. His crew? Even worse. "We're waiting a few years."

"I don't think I'll ever understand why anyone would wait." Magnus twisted his own wedding ring, lost in thought for a moment. "But I guess you both have a lot more time than...most people."

"And if you don't ever tie the knot, that's fine too," Merle said for the umpteenth time.

"Real comforting, but you _know_ once Taako gets an idea in his head, he can't shake it." He painted a smile on his face, wanting to get away from Big Emotions territory. "I'll have to do it before you get too old, or else Barry'd have to wheel you in on a hospital bed."

Merle put his hands on his hips. "Is it just me, or was he a lot more fun when we were on the ship?"

"People change, Merle," Magnus said, still a bit giddy from the news.

"Oh, gross, I should have known you would take his side!" Merle grumbled to himself, but Taako could tell he was happy for him. This was just for show. Lup walked in as he muttered about Taako _going soft,_ and Merle brightened up when she came to check on the food. "Oh, hey, Lup'll agree with me! Don't you think--"

"There's literally no universe in which I would agree with you." After checking the brisket, Lup turned around to see the huddle the Tres Horny Boys had formed.  "You all having a party in here?"

Taako blew a raspberry. "Magnus thought it'd be a good idea to give me an engagement ring in a box."

Lup laughed like this was the funniest joke she'd heard in a week. "That's messed up, Magnus! He's committed! And you're married."

"I meant for him to give to _his_ boyfriend," Magnus said, rolling his eyes.

"That's even more messed up, you trying to scare him off the idea?"

"He made it pretty clear that he was bent on doing it," Merle said, and, _fuck,_ Taako wished he didn't say that out loud! He hadn't told Lup that he had been thinking about marriage, and she didn't take kindly to him keeping things from her.

"Did he?" she asked, a malicious glint in her eye.

If his sister wasn't staring a hole into his head, Taako would have hit Merle with a ladle. "Goddamn it, Merle!"

"Hey, I had assumed if you were going to tell us, you'd have told her!"

"Yeah, why's my brother keeping secrets from me?" Lup asked, putting a forceful hand on Taako's shoulder. "Especially something like _this."_

"It just hadn't come up yet." Taako shrugged her off his shoulder, glaring.  "Stop giving me that look, we'll do this _later."_

"Nope, everyone else out--" Lup waved the other two Horny Boys towards the door. "We've got to finish this dinner, and while we do, we're having a _long_ conversation."

Taako watched Magnus and Merle for _something,_ an out or an apology or an excuse not to stay here and bear his heart out to his sister. But, no, both of them shot him a shit-eating grin and stepped out of the kitchen.

"So," she said, leaning on the counter.

"Thought you were cooking."

"Just waiting for this to finish." Lup kicked the oven door, not breaking eye contact with Taako. "Spill."

"It's not a big deal. I just--like, I talked to Kravitz and said at one point we _might_ get married." Taako sat on the counter next to her. "Like, I'm not hiding something from you, nobody proposed, it was just. A conversation."

"Oh. That's it? I thought I'd have to beat you up." She looked him up and down, scanning him. It felt like Lup could stare straight into his soul sometimes (and with her new job coming up, she would be able to do so literally). "Is that why you two were so attached this morning?"

"Yeah, this was--it's a new thing. Only reason I told those two dumbasses was 'cause Magnus carved out that ring and they were asking too many questions."

"Well, glad I don't have to beat the shit out of you for keeping a secret engagement from me!" It sounded like a joke, but knowing Lup, she'd absolutely murder him if he got engaged without telling her. "Still, I'm glad you're thinking about it. I really think you found a good one."

"You've never liked my boyfriends before."

"'Cause you were picking bad ones." Lup nudged him softly. "But, you'll tell me when you're actually going to ask?"

"Yeah, I'm not an  _idiot."_ Taako turned back to the food, remembering that he had been in the middle of slicing and grating before everyone interrupted him. "You talked to me about marrying Barold, like, fifty times before actually doing it."

Lup noticed that there was still food to be prepared, and she stepped in to help Taako. "Want to talk about it now?"

"You'd laugh, it'd just be me gushing."

"I've gushed about Barry in front of you loads of times." She bumped him with her hip, stealing his grater. "C'mon, talk to me?"

It was embarrassing how little prodding it took for him to start chattering on about Kravitz.

* * *

Dinner was fine. The food was great, naturally, since the twins worked on it. Conversation was good, even though the crew seemed a bit worried for Lup and Barry. The crew asked Kravitz a lot of questions about the procedure, wanting to know exactly what would happen to their friends. Taako only caught Lucretia's eye twice, and even stayed nice enough to ask her to pass him some salt. Lup beamed at him when he did, and didn't even call attention to the fact that he held a death grip on her hand under the table as he asked.

As dinner wound down, Taako realized it was almost eight. The switch was happening soon. He didn't want to have it go down in the middle of everyone else--he wanted a little alone time during it. Taako didn't have to do dishes, Lucretia and Magnus had offered to, so he ran over to Kravitz and tugged once on his arm.

"C'mon, over here."

Taako pulled Kravitz into the little greenhouse Merle kept at the side of the house. Since he wasn't here year round, the greenhouse was kept clean and thriving by magic. Nobody had to take care of it, it was blessed by Pan, but Merle and Lucretia would come in and tend to the plants for fun when they visited. It was also an enclosed space, so Taako's glamour fizzled out after a couple seconds of being alone with Kravitz.

"I haven't been in here before," Kravitz said, swiveling his head to look at all the plants. "It's lovely."

"Yeah, well, Merle probably does some gross things with these plants, so, like, don't get too comfy."

"Then why did you bring me in here?" he asked, immediately disgusted.

"Thought you didn't want to change back in the crowd." Taako shut the door to the greenhouse, walking over to meet Kravitz. "Wasn't sure how gruesome this was gonna get."

"It's fairly clean. We didn't even notice the switch when it first happened, remember?" Kravitz smiled, held Taako by the hips and pulled him close. "Are you ready?"

"Almost eight, so, I have to be. It's not like we gotta do anything, it's pretty automatic." Taako draped his arms around his boyfriend's neck. "You're...you're going to be _good,_ right? Not going to freak out when your heart stops beating?"

"I'll be much more excited to hear your heartbeat again." Kravitz kissed him soft, pulling away before Taako could turn it into something more heated. "I've missed it."

"Fuck, babe, are you trying to get my heart beating before I switch back?" Taako fanned his face, whistling overdramatically.

Kravitz laughed and hugged him tight. "I've noticed it's not very hard to do."

"Lies."

"You think I haven't noticed your heart beating every time I say something sweet to you?" Kravitz kissed him again, pulled away quickly, and swiped his thumb over Taako's cheekbone. "Not a bad thing, you're cute when you're flustered."

Taako could feel his heart beating already, not sure if Kravitz was the cause, or if the switch was happening right now. "You're--you're banned from--from _this,"_ he said, feeling a warm burn from his cheeks to his ears.

"Just try and stop me," was the only warning Taako got before Kravitz bombarded him with kisses. Taako tried to squirm away, tried to hold back the laughter bubbling up in his chest. Kravitz kept catching him, kept him close. Eventually, Taako "gave up" and let himself fall into Kravitz' arms. Kravitz took this as more of an invitation, heaping almost enough affection onto him to make up for his absence. Taako let it happen, taking comfort in the whole ordeal.

"Love you," Taako said, as quiet and calm as he could.

Two.

Taako kissed him, for real this time. Neither wanted to break off, content to have one last slow one before being separated. Taako felt Kravitz' heartbeat slow, but not stop. He wasn't running as warm as he had been--still not as chilled as he was when he got back from work, but lukewarm.

"I think that's it," Kravitz said after pulling away. "You feel like you're burning."

"Your heart's still beating, you might still have some dying to do." Taako leaned in closer, trying to get another kiss in, his work not done.

Kravitz coughed, stepping away. "No, ah--I think that's just from kissing you." 

"Damn, I'm good." He grinned, happy that he _finally_ got Kravitz flustered. He had been doing the same to Taako, and he needed to make Kravitz remember who the flirt was in the relationship. "Can you check to see if the switch went all the way on your end?"

"I can try calling my scythe." Kravitz stepped further away, making sure he didn't bump into any plants. His skin melted away, showing the bone underneath. His cloak and suit materialized around him in black smoke. And, yes, he dressed nice during the vacation, but Taako had forgotten how _exceedingly fancy_ his work clothes were. He reached his hand out and called his scythe, the pole expanding from the palm of his hands and the blade appearing out of thin air.

Taako let out a low whistle. "God damn, that's fucking hot."

"You might be the only person who would think so." Kravitz put his face back together, his hands still skeletal. Fuck, Taako shouldn't have been this hot under the collar from a little bit of goddess death magic.

"Oh, trust me, people are into some _weird_ shit, dude." Taako walked over and curled his fingers in Kravitz' cloak. "But I'm the one that gets this."

"All of it." Kravitz kissed him one more time. "I like what I've got, too."

"Oh, you better. Lots of people clamoring for Taako." He immediately regret saying that, realizing how bad that sounded. Taako stumbled over his words a bit before amending his statement. "But, hey, I'm...like, I can't imagine being with--with anyone else at this point. You don't have to worry about me running off or anything."

"I know you, Taako, I know you would never do that."

Okay. Okay, good, he didn't take that the wrong way. Taako relaxed. "Good, 'cause we look awesome together, and, it would be a real shame if I fucked that up."

Kravitz laughed. "Well, that's one reason to stay together."

"If you want reasons, I've got--fuckin' _hundreds_ at this point." He winked. "A bunch of reasons why it's worth doing the public such a _disservice_ by taking Taako off the market."

"Oh, do you? Name one."

"Can't leave, 'cause I love you."

One.

Kravitz smiled at him, more expectant than happy.

"What's that face for?" Taako teased, even though he knew exactly why Kravitz was looking at him like that.

"You, ah--you only have one more left." Kravitz bounced on his heels, expectant and excited. "I'm about to go take Lup and Barry over, if you'd want to finish off..."

Taako laid a hand on his chest, mocking surprise. "What? You thought I'd finish you off before you died?" He tapped Kravitz on the chest two times and walked towards the door. "No, homie, you'll get the rest when you come back from work."

"I--" Kravitz snorted, followed Taako to the door, and laughed. "I love you, Taako."

"Stop throwing off my fuckin' count--" Taako turned around, faking annoyance. "Fine, whatever, love you and whatever."

One.

"I love you," Kravitz said, throwing him off again.

"I hate this." Taako kissed him quick, gripping his tie like a lifeline. "I love you."

One.

"I love you."

"I love you."

One.

"I love you, Taako."

"Fu--holy shit, stop that, I love you."

One.

It took the two of them a long time to get back to the crew.

* * *

The ceremony wasn't much to write home about. All Kravitz did was take the souls out of Barry and Lup's living bodies, allowing both to float close to him. Lup's was beautiful, a living flame, oranges and pinks and reds shooting off in fireworks inside it. Taako almost bust a lung when he realized that Barry's soul was the color of his favorite jeans. There was a little bit of magical corruption that sparked off both, some irreversible hold that their time as liches had on their souls.

"The Queen said she'd try and scrub that out," Kravitz said, pointing to the bolts of corruption, "since that's keeping their souls tied to their source of magic. I think that once they replace their source with a goddess' power, that will weaken."

"So they won't even be liches anymore?"

"Well, if you want to argue what exactly a lich _is,_ you could call me a lich. Because my soul is tied to the Raven Queen, and that's where I pull all my magic from--" Kravitz covered his face, embarrassed that he launched himself into the intricacies of the whole thing. "I'm sorry, you probably don't want to hear me talk about this."

"No, it's, uh, it's interesting. And I'd like to know what you're doing to my sister." Taako reached out to touch Lup's soul. She moved around his hand, just as warm as she was in life. "But, uh, shouldn't you be getting those to your bird mom? I don't know if they expire."

"They don't, but I _should_ get going." Kravitz nudged Lup's soul away from Taako and addressed the rest of the crew. "Will all of you take care of the bodies?"

Davenport nodded. "We know how to, we've done it before."

Magnus smiled, producing a piece of paper from his pocket. "Lup gave me instructions on where and how she wanted to be buried!"

Lucretia snatched the paper out of Magnus' hands and read it. Her nose wrinkled halfway down the page. "We can't bury her in a dabbing pose."

"We _can,_ if we believe in ourselves," Magnus said, stroking his sideburns thoughtfully. The rest of the crew spoke all at once, either opposed to the dabbing or supportive of it.

"You'll see us all again soon," Kravitz said, leaning over to smile and Taako. Speaking just loud enough so only he could hear.

"Yeah, whatever, I--" Taako's eyes went back to the souls, a large crackle of red electricity bouncing off Barry's. "You're sure?"

"I can guarantee it." Kravitz used his free hand to tip Taako's chin up. Kissed him quick. When he pulled away, he whispered out an, "I love you."

"I love you too." Taako pushed him away,  "Go on, then, it's--it'll be easier for me if you just do it quick."

Kravitz summoned his scythe, relieved when it came to his call. He opened up a rift for the first time in six months and set one foot through it. "I'll call and let you know when they're safe in the Queen's care."

"Thanks." Taako stepped forward. "See you later?"

"See you later, love," he said, and stepped through the rest of the way.

Taako was silent as he watched the rift close behind Kravitz. That's it. That was Taako's entire household, gone in an instant. And, honestly? He was fine. He trusted Kravitz not to run. He trusted that Lup and Barry's procedure would go smoothly. He trusted they'd be back. Maybe it would be longer than he'd like, but he could find other ways to occupy his time.

The rest of the crew bickered about whether or not they should let Lup's skeleton dab, not noticing Taako still had his eyes glued to the wall. Or at least, if they noticed, they were kind enough not to point it out.

But he heard Magnus talk about getting _Barry's_ skeleton to dab, and--hoo boy, he had to get in on that conversation.

So, sure, Taako was alone. But he wasn't _alone._

He could wait. It would be worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> did this chapter need to be 10k? no. did i do it anyway because i have no self control? you bet.
> 
> you may be thinking: "hey! this is pretty much over! why does this need three more chapters?!?!" and my answer to that is: i'm a big ol' sap and i wrote a big reunion scene and it's Necessary. also there's an epilogue because i can't be stopped. 
> 
> but, again, as we reach the end?!??!?! i want to thank everyone for their continued support in the comments, i know a bunch of you comment every single chapter (you KNOW who you are. also i know who you are. you're amazing) and it's such a big reason why I try to keep this on a consistent schedule!! this isn't the last fic I'll ever write, and it's DEFINITELY not the last taakitz fic i'll ever write (i'm working on........a big au.) and i hope ya'll will stick around for some of those! (the next one is probably going to be blupjeans :3c )
> 
> Next time: a little bit of separation (if everything goes to plan, it'll be a SHORTER chapter. but. you know me. it might end up long. but right now it's probably 2-3k. hopefully)


	27. Seperation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taako and Kravitz spend some time apart.

"Did you really have to cast Disguise Self to get here?" Magnus asked, concern laced into every word.

"You kidding? If the public knew I was going here, they'd twist it into some godawful shit and then they'd...fuckin', try to shut down my school, or _something."_ Taako dropped his disguise spell once he got into the waiting room. "Which, bullshit, I'm-- _fine,_ but. People like to use any excuse they can to shut good shit down."

"Guess so." Magnus walked up to the desk and signed in. The clerk took in his information and he gestured back towards Taako. "Can you get some new patient forms for my buddy, too? First visit."

A flash of recognition hit the clerk's eyes, but they didn't say anything. Kept it cool. Taako appreciated that; didn't want to sign autographs at a therapist's office. The clerk leaned over and grabbed a clipboard with about twenty papers stacked on, and slid it across the desk to Magnus.

"She'll see you in a minute, Mr. Burnsides, and--" The clerk stuttered, not sure if they should acknowledge Taako by name, or if they should pretend like they _didn't_ know him. Eventually, they calmed down and spoke up again, voice shaking slightly. "You'll be in the next slot, Taako. Please fill out the forms while you wait."

"Yeah, got it." Taako grabbed a pen from the cup on the desk and sat down in one of the chairs. It was early in the morning on a Tuesday, so there weren't any other patients in the waiting room. Good. Meant that he wouldn't get bombarded with questions from strangers.

Magnus sat next to him as he waited for his appointment. Whoever was in the slot before must have been running late.

"Are you scared?" he asked, leaning over to look at Taako's forms.

"What? No, that's fucking stupid." Taako squinted at the paper, trying to figure out if he should make up a social security number, or if he should leave it blank. Not like he was born in this plane. "It's just. Y'know. Don't think they can fix the ol' swiss cheese brain in a couple sessions."

"That's not really the point, but I get it." Magnus smiled. The waiting room door opened and someone called Magnus in to his appointment. He stood up, offering Taako a firm pat on the back before leaving. "It'll be fine, Dr. Smirl is real nice."

"Yeah." Taako waved a hand, eyes still on his clipboard. "Sure."

He didn't look up for a while, too focused on the forms. Every question was a challenge. He wasn't a native to this plane. Date of birth? He had to translate it from the calendar he was born on. Age? Shit, did the hundred years count? Was he two hundred forty two or three hundred forty two? And then there was a whole page of questions to be answered before the first session--basic reasons why he wanted to seek out help, what he wanted to get out of the sessions, sore subjects that should be handled with more care than usual. He barely finished three pages, how was he going to get through the rest of these fucking forms before Magnus' session finished?

Magnus'--

Taako looked up from his forms. He was so absorbed in them to fully comprehend that Magnus had left the room. There was still nobody else in the waiting room. And, sure, that was comforting earlier, the fact that nobody had to see Taako from TV in a therapist's waiting room. But now that Magnus was gone, now that he was actually alone? No thank you. Nope. This was _bad._ A bad feeling. He remembered that Lup was _gone_ again, temporarily, and that Kravitz and Barry were gone, too, and now Magnus was in another room, and Merle was off at his beach house, probably Davenport too, and Angus was in Lucas' shitty school, and who the hell knew where Ren had run off to--

Except, he wasn't completely alone. There was the clerk at the desk.

He took a breath. No, it was fine. He could call Lup and Kravitz and Barry. Magnus would be out soon. He could always go visit Merle and Davenport. Angus sent letters. Ren was meeting him later that day to discuss business. It was fine. Still, he felt like he needed some kind of interaction. Taako moved to a seat that was in the clerk's line of sight. They jumped in their seat, nervous--yeah, this was a fan. Taako could deal with that.

"You a fan, darling?" he asked, thankful that he kept his voice steady. He grinned, just like he used to do on Sizzle it Up!, and winked.

"Ye-yes!" The clerk's papers flew in a few directions from their outburst. They sat backwards, embarrassed. "Oh, I'm sorry, I just--I saw one of your shows when I was a kid, and, then I recognized you were in the Story, and--" They covered their face, elbows sinking into their desk. "Oh, no, I'm sorry. I should stay cool."

"Yeah, you, you're fine, as long as you don't, like. Tell your friends or the papers that I visited." He tapped his pen against the clipboard, the gears in his head turning. "Hey, listen, if you keep it quiet that I was here, I'll, uh--after my appointment, I'll sign something other than these forms for you."

"Oh, of course, I'm not allowed to tell anyone anyway, but, I--I would never!" The clerk put their hands on their face again, completely star struck. "Do you really mean it?"

"Sure." Taako thought about it again, and then twirled his pen in the air. "Unless you'd want me, to, uh, sign something specific, and then I can just sign it at the next session. If you bring it to work the next time, uh, I'm here. Up to you."

"I'll have to think about it." The clerk buzzed with excited energy now, unable to decide. They took a breath, calmed down a bit. They looked at Taako's forms and noticed that only a few pages were filled out. "And, I'm sorry if this is a weird question, but...would you like help filling those out? Lots of things are different from your homeworld."

Taako looked down at his forms. "You can do that?"

"We don't usually, but. None of you are regular cases. I had to help Mr. Bluejeans fill them out the first time." They smiled, calming and soft. "So, would you like the help?"

"Oh, hell yeah, I'm dying over here." Taako scooted his chair up to the counter and set his forms down on the desk, pen ready. "And you're--"

"Ira Ray," they said, and held their hand out to shake. "It's so nice to meet you."

Taako hesitated before taking the hand. He still had a dull fear in the back of his mind that it would disintegrate immediately upon contact. But it didn't. They had a firmer than normal handshake, maybe because they were nervous. It was solid.

He hadn't gotten over the mentality that everyone other than the crew was dust, but he'd be able to work on it.

* * *

After Lup and Barry were put under the Raven Queen's service, there was a little bit of time where they had to wait and get their souls converted. The Queen was certain that she could scrub the instability from their souls, but it would take some time. Time that she used to catch up with her previously absent bounty hunter.

And, as they usually did when they had time with each other, they played a game together.

One would think that a goddess would favor the game of chess. That would be a false assumption. In reality, the Raven Queen enjoyed checkers. Not just any checkers, either--she preferred the shitty plastic checkers set that can be bought for two gold at any Fantasy Cracker Barrel. The one thing she didn't like about the set was the fabric mat. The fibers were too scratchy for her. Instead, the fabric mat was weaved by Istus, with black and purple wool.

"Kravitz, did you enjoy yourself?" she asked, running a talon over the edge of the oversized plastic puck. She enjoyed the sound.

"Of course, My Lady, but I am happy to get back to my duty." Kravitz set up his pieces, letting his fingers brush against the soft wool.

"You do not have to pretend that your life outside of work isn't important to you," she said, laying her pieces down. The soft clacking of plastic against plastic echoed in the room, making it feel more like home instead of a goddess' domain. "I know you better than to think that you would lose faith in me just because you're in love."

Even though Kravitz was dead now, he felt his cheeks burning. "I would assume you would want me to keep my work and personal life separate--"

"And yet, you have brought your family here to work for me." She sighed, sensing Kravitz' thoughts. She knew when he was nervous, and knew how to ail his fears. "It isn't a criticism, Kravitz, just an observation." Once they had both laid out their pieces, the Raven Queen made her first move. "You are more stable when you are surrounded by loved ones."

"Thank you, My Lady," he said, and moved his first piece forward.

The Queen watched his move, and then moved the same piece forward. An offensive strategy. "But I also hope you will keep those two in check."

"I will, My Lady." He moved another piece, going on the defensive. He tried not to think too hard about his strategy, knowing that she could read his mind.

"Good." The two stayed in silence for the next few moves, concentrating on each other's strategies. The early game was very important. "I am very glad to have you back. You will have to fill me in on the details later."

"When I'm not as busy, of course." Kravitz smiled as he removed one of her pieces. She had advanced too far and too early. "Taako had a couple of conversations in here with you, didn't he?"

"Yes. He's incredibly smitten with you." She watched the board, thinking through her next move carefully. She moved one of the pieces from the back of her board. "If Istus doesn't snatch him as an emissary when his time comes, he would make a wonderful addition here."

"Are you sure about that?"

"With all of the edge cases we've had lately, I don't think it's a bad idea to add on a few more bounty hunters that play your role." She watched Kravitz make his move, and then snatched one of his pieces afterwards. "Adding you to the retinue made things a bit messier, but it ensures that the job is getting done right in these odd cases."

"Thank you, My Lady," he said, moving one of his other pieces away from hers.

"And I would feel uncomfortable separating the two of you," she added, moving her piece in the absent space Kravitz left.

"Are you sure my feelings matter in this situation?"

"Of course they do." The Queen folded her hands in her lap, the game put aside for a moment. "I may be your goddess, Kravitz, but I do not wish to see any of my subjects unhappy. Your job is done much better when you are stable."

"If you insist," Kravitz said, moving another one of his pieces to resume the game.

The game fell into silence, in the way it always did when the Queen watched Kravitz' soul carefully. He didn't mind. He didn't have anything to hide from her. When he first started dating Taako, he tried to block the thoughts out of his head so she couldn't find out, but that ended pretty quick.

"You've recovered the memory of how you died," she said, cooing as she stacked one of her pieces. Her talon raked across the crown design on the top. "I heard it gave you trouble."

"It did." Kravitz watched the board, noticed he was losing. He couldn't win against someone who could read his mind, but he put up a good fight this time. "But I'm better for knowing it now."

She let out an otherworldly trill, pleased. "I'm happy to hear it."

Kravitz thought to ask her why she took the memory from him for so long. Except, the longer he thought of it, the more he understood why she'd keep it from him. He decided not to ask, even though the Queen would have known he had thought to. She'd know he came to a logical conclusion on his own.

It didn't take long for Kravitz to lose the rest of the game. He wasn't bothered by it. If it was a game against anyone else, he would have been frustrated for losing. But not here. The time spent with his goddess was more important than the outcome. The Queen sat and chat with him for a while longer, asking about his vacation, until Lup and Barry's souls were completed. She sent Kravitz off with a wave and a set of instructions for how to smooth their transition from living to dead. He smiled and left, noticing that as he left the room, the Raven Queen conjured one of the peg games from the Fantasy Cracker Barrel tables and played with it in her lap.

He laughed to himself, and got back to work.

* * *

"You excited to see it, Taako?" Ren walked in front of him, backwards, like a college tour guide.

"I'm excited to see how they fucked up the construction plans." Taako winked and took out a tube from the endless pocket he had installed in his hat. As soon as he opened the cork, blueprints sprang out of it. "Did you _see_ my blueprints? I put in so much crazy shit to fuck with them."

Ren smiled. "Like the elevator that opens up to a set of stairs?"

Taako pointed to a section of his blueprints. "And the child dueling grounds on a ten foot platform surrounded by theater seats?"

Ren laughed and leaned in to look at the blueprints. "...and the secret tunnel under the fountain that leads to a secret library that only has false information?"

"Yeah, all that shit." Taako rolled up the papers and stuffed them back into the tube. "I'll bet they didn't get it all in, but, whatever. Most of it was to keep the kids on their toes, I can figure out other ways to do that."

The two walked past the gates, tilting their heads up to see _Taako's Amazing School of Magic_ looming over them. Even though all the landscaping hadn't been finished and the trees hadn't grown in, the grounds looked beautiful. It was definitely worth all of the crowdfunding and fundraising that Taako had to go through to get it built. He ran up to the giant double doors and--

Well, they were too heavy for Taako to pull open. Ren had to open them.

But once Ren opened the doors and they both walked through, the experience was magical.

The school had that lofty, magical atmosphere that only an arcane school for children could get away with. Parts of it bordered on gaudy--that _was_ the Taako brand, after all--but not so much that students would be unable to focus and learn.

They walked through halls together, peeked their heads into classrooms and labs and offices. Ren laughed once she realized the full tuition wing of the dorms was _severely_ less fancy than the scholarship dorms (no way was Taako letting the rich kids have the best digs). The builders followed Taako's horrible blueprints to the letter--improving on them, even. The false elevator was there. The dueling grounds were settled on a ten foot platform surrounded by theater seats, just as he asked. Even the secret tunnel was there--no books yet, Taako would have a lot of fun crafting those. It was exactly how Taako wanted it to be.

No, not exactly. It was better than what Taako had wanted.

"Well, fuck," was the first thing out of Taako's mouth, after twenty minutes of wandering.

"What? What's wrong?" Ren walked out from one of the classrooms, concern plastered all over her face.

"Fucking _nothing!"_ Taako slapped his hat over his knee, furious. "How am I supposed to complain to the contractors about this? They got everything--fuckin'-- _perfect."_

Ren covered her mouth and stifled a laugh. "Were you hoping that they'd fuck it up so you'd be able to get a discount?"

_"Obviously!"_  Taako huffed and balanced his hat back on his head. "Ugh, it's fine, I made a lot of free money doing that race with Hurley. Dude just dropped ten thousand gold into our hands--"  He grinned. "And you _know_ I took advantage of Magnus' bad math skills."

"I have to do all your math for you."

"Yeah, but I'm better than Magnus." Taako looked around, admiring the crown molding of the ceiling. He stood up to attention once he realized something. "Hey, wait--if they got everything right, they must have--holy shit, Ren, come over here!" Taako ran down the hall, knowing he was close to his destination from here. Ren followed behind, awe-struck at all the details of the school as they passed them. Taako stopped in front of his office, his name plastered on the front in big, looping script. Ren's head whipped over to see that hers was right next door, but he pulled her into his before she could go to inspect it.

The office was circular, The ceiling stretched out into the second floor, curtains and crystals hanging from a series of rods and arcs. The very top of the ceiling was painted with a black that seemed to creep into eternity, speckled with flecks of white, meant to be stars. Taako figured he could enchant them to twinkle, if he really wanted. His desk was too important to leave to the builders. Magnus made it, and Taako thought he'd have to go deskless for a little bit. But there it was, sitting in the middle of his office. Enormous. Mahogany. Carved with little mongeese in the sides. Beautiful. Magnus really outdid himself on this one.

On either side of Taako's desk sat two tanks--empty, now, but Taako wanted to put some of his catches in there. Not that he'd have time to fish, but until he did, he'd be able to put some shark illusions in there and scare the shit out of some kids. Oh, maybe he should conjure a shark made out of glass! That'd fuck with them.

Directly behind the desk was a series of bookshelves. Empty, for the most part, except for about ten books that stood straight up in the shelves. These carpenters really outdid themselves--they even had titles carved into the spines. _The Sauce Doctor: One Thousand Tips to Improve Your Sauce Game. The Life of Merle Highchurch: XTreme Teen Years. Stolen Ideas from the Plane of Thought._ Taako wiggled one, and, good! They weren't real books. He couldn't move it side to side, but because the bookcase was empty, he could see the mechanism at the back. None of them looked the same, either--some more decorated than others--which meant that nobody would be able to distinguish them as fake from a glance.

Perfect.

"Alright, so, this only really works if you fill it with books--" Taako tapped one of the books with an elbow and turned to face Ren. "But it should be obvious which ones you need to pull."

"What do they do?" she asked, still drinking in the rest of his office.

"Pull one."

Ren watched his expression to see if he was full of shit or not. When she determined he was serious, she walked over to the bookcase. She pulled on _Two Hundred and Three Ways to Cook Roadkill_ , an unassuming little title that sat the closest to Taako's desk. As soon as she pulled it back far enough to register a small click, a portion of the floor in front of the desk fell out, and the chair in front of it tipped forward.

While Taako found this hilarious, Ren smacked him upside the head and scolded him.

"Holy _shit,_ Taako, you can't have a trap door in your office! What if a kid falls down there?"

"It's _fine,_ it dumps them out into a ball pit." Taako wiped away a tear from his eye, scanning the bookshelf. He pulled at _Caleb Cleveland: A Nerd's Anthology._   "Oh, oh, this one's good--"

A disc about two feet in diameter popped out of a panel in the ceiling. Taako motioned for Ren to stand underneath it, and she did--wow, that's a lot of trust to put into someone like _Taako._ As soon as she got underneath it, her left pocket shuddered, and a pocket watch flew out. It was connected to a chain, so it didn't leave Ren's possession entirely, but it did float up towards the disc, straining against the chain.

"A magnet?" she asked, stepping out of the way and placing her pocket watch back in its rightful place.

"I'm saving that one for when we finally get Agnes on the payroll. It's actually not a magnet, it's enchanted to suck up the most emotionally valuable item you're carrying." He sweat under Ren's scrutinizing look, backtracking immediately. "Y'know, we play keepaway with him, it's, like, this fun thing we do."

"Sure," she said, in a voice that didn't sound like she believed him fully. She watched all of the books, and pulled towards one titled _Filter Your Own Piss and More! Tips for Surviving on the Road._ A portion of the wall in between the aquarium tank and the bookshelf opened up. Ren looked back towards Taako and ran in, intensely curious. Taako followed behind her, unhurried.

The passage led to a small room, shaped in an odd concave shape like a decorative scroll. The negative space in between two circular rooms. The ceiling was lower, but a condensed staircase led upstairs. On the fanned wall towards the back, there was a kitchen. Nothing big, just a fridge and an oven and a sink, a little bit of counter space. No tables, just a small loveseat that sat on the other fanned wall.

"Taako, what is this?"

"Secret break room. You think I'm sharing the one with all the teachers?" He walked inside the room proper, inspecting the kitchen. "And, what, you think I'm dumb enough to interrupt the cafeteria workers just so I can get the midday baking jitters out?" 

"Could I--" Ren stared at the room for a few minutes, something on her mind. She debated whether to say it out loud, and after a little _go on_ gesture from Taako, she spoke. "Would it be alright if I used this during my breaks?" As soon as the words left her mouth, she covered her face, convinced she said something horribly wrong. "I mean, if not, that's fine, I can just--go to the regular break room--"

"C'mon, our offices are right next to each other, you think you're not allowed? I'm not making you walk all the way to the fuckin--teachers' lounge. Your office has a secret entrance that connects here."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think the entrance is on--" Taako searched the far wall, hands moving along the edge. He came to a button and pressed it, and the wall opened up into a second office. "Yeah, this wall."

"Oh my god!" Ren pushed past him and ran into her office. He heard excited gasps and cheers as she inspected it. "Taako, this is such a nice office! I love this!"

Taako leaned on the empty space in the wall, watching Ren. Her office wasn't as decorated--she'd have to make it her own, after all--but it did have another Magnus original desk and another bookshelf. There were fewer books on hers, but he had actually made her mechanisms useful. He knew she wouldn't want to mess with the kids as much. Ren didn't have many words as she explored her space. Mostly gawked.

Her eyes met Taako's midway through admiring the desk and she smiled. "Thank you so much, Taako. This is--this is really great."

The genuine gratitude from his coworker and business partner _(friend???)_ hit Taako square in the heart. He looked around the office, and now that he saw his plans actually here, _for real,_ he realized how much work he had put into Ren's office. His office? Yeah, of course, he planned on going all out on that. Naturally. That's what Taako deserved. But he didn't _have_ to let Ren have a secret passage to the good break room. He didn't _have_ to customize five different secret bookshelf functions. He hadn't done that with the rest of the offices.

Ren was important to him. 

"Well--well yeah, I mean, you need a good--a good place to do your shit in." Fuck. So he wasn't just flustered by genuine words from Kravitz. Anyone could throw him off. Great.

Ren spared him, though, and went to check her desk. The only thing that sat on it was a small nameplate.

"Y'know?" She picked up the nameplate like it was the most precious thing in her life. "Like, we signed the paperwork together, so, this isn't a surprise, but--" Ren turned the nameplate in her hands a few times, smiling down at it. "It's great to hold this, physically. Feels nice."

"Yeah." Taako spoke quieter than he meant to, cautiously putting his heart out into the open. "It'll be great working with you, Ren."

"Just don't set any kids on fire," she teased, waggling her finger at him.

Taako sneered. "I can't promise that."

Ren laughed, and the wavering uncertainty in Taako's chest disappeared.

* * *

Kravitz was at his last straw with this machine.

It was a tube, similar to the one that Barry had used for years. But, as Kravitz learned after twenty minutes of fiddling, it was _impossible_ to dismantle. The necromancer that they had thrown into the Stockade earlier in the day must have wanted to emotionally drain whatever bounty hunter that dared to trap them. The tube wasn't something that could be destroyed with an explosion. This necromancer didn't have a remote cave to work in--this was a high-rise apartment. If Kravitz got too reckless with this disposal, dozens of innocents could die. So he had to go through part by part, meticulously taking the machine apart and throwing the parts into a volcano via portal.

Agonizingly slow.

He had already sent Barry to drop the souls into the Stockade and do the paperwork. He had gotten the hang of the process fairly quickly, so Kravitz didn't mind leaving him alone. Lup stayed with him, learning how to clear a necromancer's den. She would come to him with questions about what she should and shouldn't destroy. This was their first clearing, so her questions were simple and basic for now.

"Hey, Ghost Rider--"

"--Can you still call me that if we have the same job?"

"Don't care. You can call me Ghost Rider if you want, that'd be fuckin' sweet." Lup trot over to him, a little device clasped in between the palms of her hands. "Anyway, am I supposed to destroy this?"

"Let me see." Kravitz turned away from the machine, thankful for a break from it. "Is it related to necromancy at all?"

Lup opened her hands, showing a little metal frame with a crank and barrel. "No, it's just a music box."

"You only have to destroy active necromantic mechanisms. Academic necromancy texts are fine. Everything else isn't even worth looking into, unless you think it's cursed."

"Oh, so I just leave this here?" she asked, a little disappointed.

"Well, the owner is dead. You can take it if you'd like." Kravitz smiled, nudging her with his elbow. "It's a perk of the job."

_"Sweet!"_ Lup sat down next to Kravitz and admired the box. She really shouldn't have been resting, but her and Barry had gone non-stop for a few days. Kravitz could allow her a little chat as he dismantled the machine. "You ever take things?"

"I'll take gold if I find it," Kravitz said, pulling a piece off the tube and throwing it into a rift. "I used to take little trinkets and things when I first started this job, but I fell out of that habit."

"Why'd you stop?"

"I stopped doing a lot of things after a while. After a hundred years or so, I thought it was...silly to pretend that I had a life." Kravitz pulled off pieces of the machine as he spoke, a sharp rhythm that accompanied his words. "I didn't like to spend more time than necessary on the Material Plane. Some bounty hunters have homes and families in the living world, but, I had never thought I...deserved that? Does that make sense?"

"Uh-huh." Lup bit down on her thumb with her front teeth. Must have been a nervous habit.

"I panicked a little after meeting Taako--I--hadn't spoken to someone outside of business in a long time, let alone _flirted."_   Kravitz' hands stuttered on the machinery. In the moment, he had _thought_ he was fine to be alone for so many years. But now that he had a boyfriend and friends and a family, the memory of being alone stung a bit. "I had to take a little more time to myself before dating him proper, I didn't think it was fair to start anything with someone if I hadn't...lived, I guess."

"So, what, you went out and had a self care day?" She licked her thumb, which...must have also been a nervous habit? Kravitz elected not to think about it.

"Something like that. All I did was take some time to remember what I used to do for fun, and then...did it." He tore off another piece and threw it into the rift. "It was my first voluntary day off in centuries."

"Damn, talk about being married to your work," she said, still _licking her thumb, for some reason?_

"I suppose." He stopped picking at the machine again. Once he got to thinking, he couldn't stop. "It's not like I was like some of my coworkers. Most of them died and still had family. I...didn't have any siblings, so, there wasn't much room for family growth over the years. I lost touch."

Lup shoved her spit-soaked thumb inside Kravitz' ear.

_"LUP!"_ Kravitz' hand shot up to cover his ear. "What was _that_ for?"

"Just a reminder," she said, simply, like giving a coworker a wet willie was something a _normal_ person would do. Lup pulled Kravitz in a loving headlock, an action he had become accustomed to after spending so much time with her. She smiled. "You've got a family now."

Kravitz cleared out his ear and relaxed. "You're right. I do."

"You should start taking other shit out of these hideouts. Live a little." Lup dropped the music box into Kravitz' hands. "Starting with this. You're a music boy, aren't you?"

"I wouldn't put it that way, but yes." Kravitz turned the box in his hands a few times, inspecting it. "Thank you, Lup."

"Well?" She nudged him, a little too roughly to be considered normal. "Play it."

Kravitz chuckled and turned the crank. The box must have been placed in bad weather; it was a little out of tune. Not impossible to play, though. Only ran a little flat. He might be able to fix it with temperature. It took a few rotations of the crank for Kravitz to figure out what tempo it was meant to play at, but once he got it going, he kept it at the same steady pace. He swore he had heard the song before, but he couldn't put his finger on where or when. It felt at least a few decades old. Maybe a classic?

Lup pulled on Kravitz' hand, forcing him to stop turning the crank. "Actually, can I have that back?"

"Of course." Kravitz handed the music box over. Lup held it, and Kravitz expected her to be happy. Instead, she looked like she just got news that a non-Taako member of the crew died. Kravitz frowned, speaking softly. "Lup?"

"It's mine and Barry's song," she said, staring at the box.

Oh, that's why the song sounded familiar. He heard it from the Story.

"Someone must have been a fan." Kravitz looked around the room, at all the necromantic devices and texts littered around the apartment. "Went a little too far with their devotion, I suppose."

Lup didn't answer. She gripped the music box so hard that the gears and screws left indents in her skin. Something wasn't right.

Kravitz scooted a bit closer, careful with his tone and words. "Are you alright, Lup?"

"I, uh--I'm not really big on the idea that these people are in the Stockade because they thought I was cool." Her thumb flicked against the drum of the music box. "Like, normally, I'd _love_ this, but..."

"There's bound to be a couple of people copying you and Barry. It will die out in a few years."  Kravitz ducked his head, forcing Lup to look at him. "The Story is still new."

"Yeah, but, that's still a lot of people getting put in soul jail in the meantime."

"Lup, listen to me for a moment." He hesitated, but laid a hand on her back. She didn't immediately push away, so that was a win. "The types of people that use you as inspiration for this? They would have ended up in the Stockade in a few years' time anyway. You're just their excuse for breaking a law they already had their eyes on." Kravitz allowed himself a little closer. "If it wasn't you, they'd think of something else to justify all this."

"Are you sure about that?" Lup leaned further into him, not quite in his arms, but getting close. "I just--if I'm leading these people to eternal imprisonment, I..."

"I've been doing this for a while, Lup. Trust me." It seemed as if she was seeking out comfort, so Kravitz went ahead and hugged her. She held onto him tight. Kravitz held her close. "Normal people? People who are fans of you? They wouldn't jump to necromancy for no reason. They might take an academic interest in the subject, but they wouldn't go this far."

"My, uh--my relic made normal people do some pretty awful shit, so."

"This isn't the same."

Lup took in a sharp breath, the same kind Kravitz had heard from Taako before breaking down into tears. Kravitz was equipped to handle his boyfriend's sadness, but Lup's? He knew her well by now, but not well enough for this. He needed reinforcements--Kravitz knew when he couldn't do something on his own, and this was definitely out of his league. He'd learn how to help Lup through moments like these later, but that didn't help her now. 

"Go call Taako," he said, pulling back from her a little.

"I thought we didn't have enough time for that," she said, trying her hardest to seem sarcastic.

"We don't. But we're going to lose even more time if you're beating yourself up over something that isn't your fault."

"Ha." Lup sniffled hard a few times, holding back a lump in her throat. "That was just a ruse to make you let me speak to my brother."

"I'm going to go check on Barry." Kravitz laid a screwdriver in her free hand. "Can you dismantle this while you're on the stone?"

"You got it." She smiled at him, thankful, and swiped her thumb over her stone of Farspeech. She set it on her leg and unscrewed a panel on the machine, speaking down into the stone as she worked. "Hey, uh--got a minute? Or, preferably, more than that?"

Kravitz stepped through a rift before he could hear Taako's voice. He knew he wouldn't be able to stay away if he heard it, and Lup needed some time alone with him.

Fuck, he hoped he'd get a break soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm starting to think that i've just forgotten how to write chapters under 4k for this fic
> 
> posting this early because i'm moving tomorrow!! i'm charging through all these life milestones in this fic. 
> 
> next time, a reunion! and then after that, an epilogue. oh man. oh gosh. this is almost over and i can't believe it!


	28. Reunion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kravitz and Taako finally see each other again, and work through some negotiations. Lup threatens to murder her brother for real.

It had been a long day for Taako.

The end of the first week of school. He was exhausted, having to stay late every night. He had to talk to _so many_ rich parents, all of them insufferable and rude. Had to speak to a lot of scared kids that had never had a home before. But that was the financial plan--get about ten or fifteen rich kids in the school, make their tuition really high. Middle-class kids paid a normal tuition that would fund the school and the teachers' paychecks. Poor kids and kids without parents got in for free. That's it. No use in creating a school that Taako wouldn't have been able to attend when he was young. Ren called it a glorified orphanage once and, sure, maybe that was correct, but it would be a cold day in hell before Taako _admitted_ that.

He hung his hat on the coat rack that Magnus gave him as a housewarming present. He needed some wine, or a long bath, or _something_ to relax.

Maybe he'd just go to bed.

Taako pulled off his shoes and let them knock against the front door, shredding layers of clothes as he walked out of the front room into the hall. The lights were off. Nobody else was home, of course. Just him.

Which, y'know, he was getting better at. But. He had a feeling that this was going to be one of those nights where he would be missing his boyfriend and sister and brother-in-law a _lot._ Maybe he should have called someone to keep him company. Actually, no, the more he thought about that, the more he hated the idea. Sure, he wanted company, but he didn't want to put on the whole Taako performance. Wanted to stay comfy tonight--and, now, the only people he'd be fine doing that with would be Lup and Kravitz, who were both off catching death criminals.

Taako passed by the door to the living room and noticed a faint light under the door. That shouldn't be there. His first instinct was _oh, shit, a burgular,_ so he grabbed a lamp. He took off the shade and held the lamp like a baseball bat, hand on the living room door.

With one swift motion, he threw the door open and leaped into the space behind the door. Burglars always waited there--Taako knew that from experience. Nobody sat behind the door, though, and the lights were on. This burglar was either stupid, or really wanted to fuck with Taako.

"Well, looks like you've added one more to your death count," said a voice from behind.

Taako swung around, lamp pointed towards the voice, but dropped it to his side once he saw who was there. Kravitz sat lounged on the couch, smiling soft at Taako. Out of his work clothes. Comfortable. At home.

"You--" Taako froze in place, eyes fixed on Kravitz. "You're back."

"I, um. Not for very long, I'm on call in case Barry and Lup's first solo missions go wrong, but--"  He straightened up in his seat, a little nervous. "I thought since all I'm doing is waiting for them to finish, I could...wait here, instead of in the Astral Plane. If that's alright with you."

Taako was on him in a millisecond, lamp forgotten at the door. He kissed him urgently, as if there was a chance he could blink out of existence (which, given Kravitz' job, he absolutely could). Kravitz jerked backwards at the sudden affection, but came forward and returned it tenfold before Taako could ask him if he was alright. But, judging by his incredibly enthusiastic work, Kravitz was just as starved for boyfriend contact as Taako had been.

"How long?" Taako asked, lips only centimeters apart from Kravitz'. Didn't want to pull away.

"Unless the two of them fuck up the mission, I'll be here until tomorrow night," he said, and then kissed Taako again. They spoke in between kisses, needing to communicate but also needing the contact. "It's probably a--a twenty-six hour job?"

"That's--a lot longer than I thought it'd be." Taako smiled, and then dipped down to kiss Kravitz' jaw, speaking against his skin. "They better not fuck it up, we've got some catching up to do."

"Both of them have picked everything up fairly quickly, I don't thin--"

"Okay, no, shush, we're done talking about family." Taako sat up, mouth away from Kravitz. He needed to speak clearly for a moment. "I haven't been touched in a month, and, I _know_ you haven't either. Cha'boy's had a long week, and, I'd like to wind down a little."

"I'd like to see the house," he said, but held Taako closer. Protesting with his words, but not his actions. So that's how it was going to be.

"You've got a whole day here, babe, order of operations." Taako situated himself in Kravitz' lap. "C'mon, please?"

"Hmm, I don't know..." Kravitz laughed and pressed his forehead to Taako's. "Are you hiding a secret in this house that you don't want me to see?"

"I'd tell you, but that'd spoil the secret. Come on, let's do something fun." Taako ran his hands under Kravitz' shirt, and then stopped. He knew Kravitz was playing a little game here, but Taako would be a fool and an ass if he didn't get explicit permission. "You want to, right?"

He smiled and dropped the game, knowing it was more important to give consent than to play around. They'd have plenty of time for that later. "Yes, of course, I just don't want you to feel rushed."

"After the week I've had, this isn't rushing anything." Taako pressed himself up close to Kravitz, draping his arms over his shoulders. "We'll catch up after, you good with that?"

"I'm very good with that," he said in a low voice. He took Taako's chin in his hand and kissed him, slow and loving, letting Taako melt right into it. Now that the initial excitement of their reunion wore down, they weren't as frantic. They could slow down and enjoy each other. Except, it didn't take long for Taako to get a little impatient, breathing shallowly into every kiss and whining at every touch.

Kravitz pulled back, probably intending to offer some quip or tease. But once he opened his eyes, they sprang to look behind Taako. Distracted, but not in the way he should have been.

Taako raised a brow at him. "What's up, m'man? We were just getting to the good part."

"...are those skeletons real?" he asked, eyes fixated on the spot behind Taako. Sure enough, there were two skeletons chilling by the fireplace. An elf and a human. Cleaned, articulated, and posed in a jovial, conversational position. Kravitz seemed fascinated by them. Cute.

"Huh?" Taako looked behind him, realizing what Kravitz was talking about. "Oh, yeah. I took Lup and Barold's skeletons and cleaned them and, uh, put them over there. Thought they'd want it in their house, but, I'm holding onto them for now."

He froze, staring at the skeletons in shock. "Taako," he said, taking a very big breath even though he didn't need it, "I am _not_ having sex with you while your sister's skeleton is in the room."

"Picky." Taako drummed his fingers on Kravitz' shoulders, thinking. "Actually, now that you say it, I don't want that either. C'mon. Bed." Taako lifted himself off the couch and pulled Kravitz by the wrist. "Quick question, would you have been able to get it up if it was someone else's skeleton? Like, as in, not my sister's?"

"Most likely." Kravitz chuckled and followed close behind Taako.

"You're the _worst,"_  he said, laughing into his hand. "I love you."

Zero.

Kravitz beamed, lifted Taako off of the ground just because he could. Show off. He kissed Taako a few times, all over his face. "That's it, isn't it?"

"Yep." Taako grinned, holding onto Kravitz for support. He pressed his forehead against Kravitz'. "How is it? You feel loved yet?"

"I've felt loved for a while, Taako." Kravitz dipped Taako backwards a bit, kissing him deeply. "Although, I am glad we don't have to keep count anymore. I've wanted to be able to freely declare my love for you for a long time."

Taako pouted, mostly for show. "And yet, I haven't heard those good words out of you." He crossed his ankles around Kravitz' leg, holding on tight. Sure, he liked it when Kravitz used his full strength to pick him up, but he worried the dude would get too sappy and drop him.

"I love you," Kravitz said, eyes bright and smile wide.

"Love you too, babe." Taako smiled softly, but then his thoughts got the better of him. "Hey, uh, now that I'm not catching up, or anything, I. Probably won't initiate saying it as much."

"That's alright. I know you love me."

"I mean, like, obviously I'll say it _back,"_ Taako said, backtracking as far as he could go without sounding like a liar. "It's just. Saying it first is..."

"I know." Kravitz stayed quiet for a few moments, running a hand through Taako's hair. Choosing his words carefully. "Taako, I'm not--I'm not afraid that something bad is going to happen between us anymore. I know you, and if you stopped loving me, I'd know in a second."

"But I'm not going to."

"And that's...quite a comfort to me. To hear that." He smiled, kissed Taako on the cheek, and lifted Taako up again. "But, what I'm saying is--you've spent a long time telling me that you love me. You've said it a hundred and fifty-six times. If it still makes you nervous to say it unprompted out loud, then don't say it unprompted." Kravitz kissed his chin, the only spot his lips could reach at his angle. "I'll know."

"Thanks, babe." Taako tilted his head down and kissed right above Kravitz' eye. "Love you."

Kravitz laughed. "What did I just say, love?"

"Nah, that one came out easy. Sometimes they do." Taako cupped Kravitz' cheeks in his hands. "And when they do, I'm taking that opportunity. I won't say it if it's not coming out naturally, promise."

"Good." Kravitz lowered Taako a bit, but still had him a couple inches off the ground. Enough so that their faces were level. "Now, where is your bedroom?"

"Think you mean our bedroom, handsome." Taako, not wanting to be put down, wrapped his legs around Kravitz and held on for dear life. Kravitz seemed to get the picture, adjusting Taako on his hips. Taako steered him in the direction of the bedroom. "It's our house."

"Well, in that case, we really need to break in that bed together," he said, smiling wide, walking backwards towards the bedroom door.

"Thought you didn't need to sleep."

Kravitz laughed, and then whispered low into Taako's ear. "Love, I'm not going to be doing much sleeping tonight."

Taako felt a jolt run down his spine, holding on tighter. He laughed, although it was a little more nervous and flustered than Kravitz'. "Hey, how fucked up is it that you calling me 'love' is way more of a turn on than fuckin' dirty talk?"

"Not at all." Kravitz opened the door to the bedroom and walked inside. "That's incredibly sweet, love."

"Now you're doing it on purpose."

"And what if I am?" Kravitz sat on the bed, taking Taako down with him. _"...Love?"_

"Hot _damn,"_   Taako said, eyes wide and out of breath. He collapsed into Kravitz' arms with enough force to send the both of them falling backwards on the bed. Both stared at each other for a few seconds, wide-eyed, before bursting into laughter. Kravitz was the one to settle out of his laugher first, cupping Taako's cheek in his hand and bringing him down for a kiss. It was awful. Taako couldn't stop laughing, not even when he closed his lips to return the kiss.

It was good to have him back.

* * *

Kravitz had been so worried to leave Taako alone for so long.

He expected to come home to a nervous wreck, but was delighted to see that wasn't the case. Sure, Taako had missed him, but not to the point where it affected his health. And Kravitz loved the predatory affection that Taako dished out when they had been apart for longer than a week or two. It was later in the afternoon, and after Taako had given him a tour of the new school (Kravitz didn't think the ball pit was funny), they found themselves laying on the couch, spending as much time as possible together before Kravitz had to leave. Taako had his whole weight draped over Kravitz, moving idle fingers wherever they landed. Kravitz enjoyed this quiet contact.

Maybe a little too quiet.

They'd been dating long enough for Kravitz to recognize when Taako had something big on his mind. He'd be too silent, his eyes were never fully focused, and his heart beat like he had just gotten back from a run. Kravitz knew not to prod when he got like this. He needed time to mentally process whatever churned through his brain. It didn't impede Kravitz' relaxation. If Taako was thinking about something bad, he wouldn't be this close to him. Since he was still nuzzled up next to him, staying as cozy as possible, it had to mean that he was thinking about something good. Kravitz could be patient and wait to hear it.

He didn't have to wait for too long.

Taako reached up to fiddle with a section of Kravitz' braids. "Babe?"

"Yes?"

"I--" He stopped, looking away, and Kravitz recognized the self-consciousness in his eyes. "Nevermind, 's dumb."

"I don't believe you." Kravitz sat upright, his back against the couch. Taako adjusted to fit. "Talk to me?"

"I, uh..." Taako pursed his lips. Kravitz could see the cogs turning in his head. "It's--I love you."

"Yes, we've established that. I love you too." Kravitz ran a hand through Taako's hair. That usually calmed him down enough to speak. "It seems like something else is on your mind."

"Well." He dropped his shoulders, thinking too hard again. "Lis--listen. I've--been thinking."  Taako spoke slowly, as if he was afraid of his own words. "What's your current stance with us? Uh, vis a vis...like, getting married, and all that junk."

Oh. That must have been what got him so fidgety. "You know my stance, Taako. It's an experience I'd like to share with you, but we don't need to rush." Kravitz smiled, hoping it would seem comforting and not condescending. "I thought you didn't want to talk about it again for a few years."

"Changed my mind."

"Have you been thinking about it?"

Taako relaxed in his arms once he realized Kravitz was ready and open to talk about the subject. "I mean, it's hard to not think about it when you're...buying a house, and then decorating the house, and then spending the night with your boyfriend in said house."

"I...can see how that would get you thinking about that. It doesn't make you nervous?" Kravitz asked, carefully. Sure, he wanted to talk about this. Always. But it wouldn't do any good to scare Taako off.

"No, not even a little bit! It's crazy." He laughed and nuzzled into Kravitz' neck. "Like, think about it, it's a sweet deal! Well, I guess, it's only a sweet deal if you're, uh, into the idea of it. I mean, I don't think I'd want that if I was dating anything else, like, there's something specifically about you that makes that an appealing option to me? I don't know."

He nodded, not saying much. When Taako got on his rants like this, it was usually a good idea to let him ride it out. No use in Kravitz putting his foot in his mouth trying to predict what Taako was getting at.

"But, totally, it's...the idea of you and I doing that together is good. To me. And I guess you, 'cause you're into that schmoopy business." Taako kept an eye on Kravtiz' expression, trying his best to gauge his opinion even though he wasn't saying much. "It's just...I 'unno, ever since you got sick, it's been on my brain. Don't let anyone know I'm on that domestic shit with you." 

"I won't." Kravitz kissed the top of his head. "I have to be honest, love, I wasn't sure if that would be your style."

"Again, uh, I don't think it would be if it was anyone but you, guess you're rubbing off on me. More than you usually do." He grinned, and _no, nope,_ Kravitz wasn't about to dignify that with a response. "Fine, whatever. Look, all I'm saying is that it's...it seems like it'd be nice. To have. With you sometime. I'd like to wake up to you everyday, who wouldn't? And, like, gods and goddesses recognize it, so they'd refuse to separate us."

It was...nice, watching Taako think about marriage so much. Kravitz thought about it often, sure, but the fact that Taako was so on board with the idea made his heart flip. They wouldn't get married for a while, he knew, but he was content knowing that his boyfriend was _very into_ the idea.

"We already live in a house together and my Queen recognizes us. I think there's a lot more to it than that."

"Yeah, you're right, we're already..." Taako stopped in his tracks, whatever he was about to say forgotten to time. He stayed quiet, the wheels turning in his head again. "Yeah."

"Taako?" Kravitz looked down, worried. "Are you alright, dear?" 

"I'm good," he said, but his voice was stiff. He stood up and walked in front of Kravitz. Taako stared right into his eyes, more serious than he'd ever seen. "Let's do it."

Kravitz blinked. "What?"

"Get married."

"Wh--you mean _now?"_

"Or, y'know, when the courthouse is open." When Kravitz didn't immediately answer, Taako started backpedaling, _fast._ "Like, if you're--if you're cool with that. If you're not, just, forget I said anything."

"I'm definitely--I'm _cool_ with it, but, isn't this--aren't you--" Kravitz bit back the urge to scream _yes, of course, that would be amazing._ Something didn't sit right with him, here. He needed to know if Taako was really okay with this, he hadn't been itching to dive into marriage the last time they talked about it. There wasn't much reason for him to change his mind in two months, either. "You changed your mind _pretty quick,_ I'm--what prompted this? Are you alright?"

"I'm--listen, I'm--I'm good. I swear." He paced back and forth, justifying his thoughts as soon as they popped into his brain. "It's just, we've already--I mean, look at us! We're already fully committed, here, it wouldn't be--it wouldn't even be that much of a change."

"Even so, I wouldn't want to rush you into anything you aren't ready for." Kravitz stood up to comfort Taako, but he kept walking.

"I know I was a little bit-- _a lot of bit_ of apprehensive of this before, but, I guess it was 'cause I hadn't...things weren't stable two months ago, y'know?" He stopped in his tracks. "But now I--my school, it's doing well, like _really well,_ and. I don't have as much--trouble, with things, 'cause therapy's actually really good--everything's not at peak capacity yet, but, I feel stable, at least."

"And then the biggest factor in all of this, is, of course, that I love you. And not the kind where it's like, _I love you so much my heart hurts._ It's just...there." Taako moved up next to Kravitz again. "When we first started dating, you'd walk into the room and my fuckin' heart would explode and I'd freak out. But now, you walk in and..." He reached out for Kravitz' hand, needing some sort of contact to get him through the rest of his explanation. "I'm still into you, yeah, that's--that hasn't changed, but. You walk in now and I feel, uh, safe? And calm, and--just, in a good mood in general."

Taako tightened his grip on Kravitz' hand. "I'm just getting to the point where...it feels like just calling you my boyfriend isn't enough?  It doesn't feel serious enough to me. Does that make any sense?"

"A lot of sense. I--I feel the same way, Taako," he said, otherwise rendered speechless from Taako's words. What was he supposed to say _to that?_ It seemed like he was solid in his claims, but Kravitz still didn't buy it.

"Then what's stopping us?" Taako asked. He looked _so_ nervous--he didn't hold his heart out in such a vulnerable position very often, and the fact that Kravitz hadn't emphatically said yes yet must have been eating at him. And, of _course_ Kravitz wanted to say yes--he did, really--he just needed to stay calm, in case Taako didn't really want this. He didn't want to box Taako in with a promise he wasn't prepared to keep. He was sure there was something more to this, because this didn't feel right.

"Nothing, I guess," Kravitz said, still trying to keep it casual. He could do that. _Casual._   "You really want this?"

"Yeah. Yeah, a lot." Taako rested his head on Kravitz' shoulder and sighed. "I know it's, like, _fuck,_ it's too soon, but. I don't see either of us going anywhere, so why should we keep dragging our feet?"

"I can see the logic in that." Kravitz smiled and brought his arms around Taako. It really seemed like this was something Taako wanted. It wasn't just a performance. But somehow, Kravitz still had trouble saying yes. He wasn't sure why the idea wasn't sitting well with him. Was it nerves? "When I was alive, people would meet twice and then get married before the week was over," he said, deflecting with a joke. That was Taako's strategy, he figured it would be a good idea for him to try and use it.

"Old man," he teased, and leaned up to give him a kiss on the jaw. He watched Kravitz carefully, noticed the hesitation, and his expression turned serious again. "But, really, if you're not ready, we won't. I just thought since--since my thoughts on the situation changed, that I should...tell you."

_If you're not ready, we won't._

Kravitz had always thought that Taako would be the more reluctant party in the marriage discussion, that he'd have all the time in the world to mentally prepare himself for a wedding. And, sure, he wanted that. He wanted to get married to Taako just...not right now. He didn't want to go through a whole wedding yet. That was incredibly stressful on a couple, and even though the two were better at avoiding fights, he didn't want to take a baseball bat of stress to their relationship yet. They'd be more well-equipped at dealing with that if they had been together longer. The act of Taako proposing didn't bother him at all--that was sweet, he liked that--but being engaged would always have that question of a wedding hanging over their heads. And Kravitz was _not_ ready for a wedding, as much as he dreaded saying no to the proposal.

"They changed _a lot,_ Taako, you have to forgive me for being a little skeptical." Kravitz' knees weakened and his chest tightened up--the act of Taako taking care of his feelings was a powerful force on his heart. Is that how Taako felt whenever Kravitz reassured him after an emotional dispute? "I'm not--of _course_ I want to marry you, it's just--it's a little fast. I thought we wouldn't even _talk about it_ again for five years. I can't imagine wedding planning right now, and I'd like to get settled in this house with you before diving right into marriage."

"Yeah, I gotcha. Alright, forget I said anything." Taako backed away so he could sit back down, but Kravitz held onto him.

"There's no way I can forget any of that. Even if it's too fast, it was...good to hear. I like knowing that you're thinking about us like that. I'd like it at some point, but I'm just not ready for a wedding yet." Kravitz offered what he hoped was a reassuring smile before turning the conversation serious again. "But you said the term _boyfriend_ doesn't have enough weight for you. I'd like to address that."

Taako drew out a breath. He wasn't expecting to talk about it any further. He moved up close to Kravitz and tried to talk his way through his thoughts again. "It sounds...I don't know. It kind of sounds like it's not serious enough? Like, if I said 'oh, this is my boyfriend' to a stranger, it doesn't...it sounds wrong, a little bit. And, sure, calling you my husband is terrifying on the other end, but I'd rather be overwhelmed by _that_ than..." He stopped himself, his brain leaping to the logical conclusion of that sentence. "I see what you meant, _I_ might not even be ready for a fuckin' wedding."

"It's a lot of work." Kravitz smiled and kissed him. "That's alright. We have time. I'm happy enough to know that it will happen at some point."

Taako blew out a raspberry. "I still wish there was a step above boyfriend."

"I do, too. We may have grown out of that term." Kravitz moved his hands down Taako's back, thinking of solutions. "Partner?"

"I dunno, that's really general. That could be _anything."_

"Lover?"

"That just sounds gross. What if Lup had to introduce you to someone?" He twisted his voice to sound like his sister's and said, "'hey, this is Kravitz', he's my brother's lover!'"

"Oh, dear, please don't do impressions of your sister in front of me, that's really going to mess me up." Kravitz thought about more serious things they could call each other, and one popped into his mind. It was kind of difficult for him to bring it up _now,_ but, the more he thought on it, the more sense it made. He steeled himself, mentally prepared for the backlash. "...Fiancé?"

"Wh--didn't we just--" Taako froze, unable to process the word correctly. "You just said you weren't ready to get married, babe, why're you throwing that at me?"

"Hear me out, I have an idea."

"Sure, I'm listening, it's just-- _fuck--_ this better be a good idea!" Taako sat down, eyes focused with suspicion on Kravitz. "Giving me emotional whiplash, holy shit."

It would be an understatement to say Kravitz was nervous, standing in front of Taako. About to pitch an engagement _minutes_ after stressing that he wasn't ready for marriage. Enough to make a dead man sweat. Still, he spoke. "There's no time limit on engagements. We don't have to be married right away. We don't have to get married this year, or even next year." Kravitz carefully sat down next to Taako, speaking slowly and carefully. "We can wait five, ten, maybe twenty years before having any sort of ceremony. And we won't even _think_ about it until we feel like we've grown out of the word fiancé, just like we've grown out of the word boyfriend." 

Hearing part of the explanation, Taako relaxed. He looked genuinely interested and curious about this proposal. "So, what, you think we should just _stay engaged?"_

"Yes. Then, I'd be more than just your boyfriend, but we're not immediately jumping into a wedding." Kravitz held his hands in his lap, all of a sudden _nervous_ again, now that he was the one proposing. But it was a different kind of nervous--it felt fine. Not like he was jumping into something he wasn't ready for. "I don't think it's so much of a stretch. We'll use it more like...a promise that we're going to get married _at some point,_ and not worry about when. Don't even think about wedding dates. We would have time to ease into it."

"That's not a bad idea..." Taako smashed his hand into his cheek and closed his eyes, thinking through it. "Takes the pressure off."

"It's still a big commitment, so, if you're not ready for that, I understand."

"No, it's good, it's...it's really good. I...I actually really like that." He opened his eyes again, staring at Kravitz with concern. "You're _sure_   you'd be okay with it?"

"I'd love to do it. I'm alright with the commitment of being engaged, the pressure of getting married as soon as possible was my biggest issue."

"That's, uh. That sounds pretty good." Taako smiled. "Can't find a single flaw in that logic."

"So, that's the plan?" Kravitz asked, holding out a hand for Taako. "Engaged, but not ready for marriage yet?"

Taako took the hand and squeezed it. "No problems here."

"Good."

"Cool."

"Great."

The two stared at each other for a long moment, something that felt _important._ And it _was_ important--they had just promised something very serious, even though it would be put on hold for a decade or so. But Kravitz was fine with promising that it would happen someday, even if he wasn't ready for it today. Seemed as if he and Taako couldn't do anything normally. That was fine. Taako wasn't the kind of person to follow tradition anyway.

The moment passed, and soon enough they stuck to each other like magnets, laughing and holding each other in a hug that was just a touch too tight. Kravitz delighted in times like these, where Taako was so generous with affection. It happened more often, too, so he was starting to believe that Taako was just as big of a sap as he was. Not that he'd go around announcing that. It was a nice little secret Kravitz could keep to himself.

Taako came down from a fit of laughter and let his forehead rest against Kravitz'. "Damn it, I don't--ha, sorry, wish I had a ring or somethin' to hand off to you, but. I was kind of flying by the seat of my pants, there."

"Oh, there's...um, there's actually protocol for this. For me." Kravitz fidgeted a bit, nervous. "Just to, um. Make sure it's recognized by my goddess." 

"Shoot, you got some deathly ghost magic to tie our souls together or something?" Taako sat up straight, his eyes lighting up like a Candlenights bush. "Fuckin' sign me up, get a blood pact going or something!"

Kravitz laughed and shook his head, endlessly charmed by Taako's disgusting misunderstanding of his magic. "Not anything that permanent. And, also, I can dispel it if we decide later that this is too much for us." He took a moment to calm himself down, looking Taako square in the eyes and asking, "you're sure about this?"

"Yeah. _Yeah,_ it's. It's good." Taako kissed him again, his voice completely sincere. "Please."

"Your hand?" he asked, holding out his own.

"It's not going to, like, kill me or hurt me, right?"

"Not even a little bit. I would never do that to you."

Taako offered his hand to Kravitz, along with a soft smile. Kravitz smiled back and looked down at his boyfriend's hand, trying to recall the exact instructions the Raven Queen gave him once she learned the two were considering marriage. Kravitz whispered a prayer into Taako's palm, so quiet that Taako couldn't hear, and then turned his hand over. He grazed his lips over Taako's ring finger and finished the prayer with a kiss, looking up towards Taako as he did so. He might not have known what Kravitz was doing, but he read the situation pretty well, acting uncharacteristically reverent towards the process. When Kravitz took his lips away from Taako's ring finger, a single, black band rested right where knuckle turned to finger, which Kravitz expected. He didn't expect a silver filigree crept along the band, shining with a white light as it formed all the way around.

"Seems as if Istus blessed it, too," Kravitz said, staring at the ring.

Grinning, Taako brought his hand up to look at the new jewelry. "Well, that's pretty."

"Thank you." Kravitz glanced down at his own hand. A matching ring manifested on his construct. He ran his finger along it, and his entire heart swelled. "And if you have any second thoughts, I can always--"

"I won't." Taako moved forward and kissed him, soft and sweet. He pulled back half an inch, speaking so quietly that Kravitz had to strain to hear him. "I'm all yours."

Kravitz smiled, giddy. "Are you sure you want to give away the rights to your brand that easily?"

"Well, in exchange, you're giving yourself to me." Taako laughed, holding Kravitz close. "Fair trade."

"I suppose it is." Kravitz held his arms around Taako, pulling him in for a solid hug.

"Oof, uh, you good over there?" Taako spread his palms out on Kravitz' back, bringing himself in as close as possible.

"Very." Kravitz hugged him tighter. "I love you."

"Love you too." Taako kissed him on the cheek and scooted backwards. Kravitz let him out of the hug, but stayed close. Taako watched him, laughing a bit as Kravitz tried to get close again. "Quick question, are you going to be this unbearably affectionate forever, or is this just some kind of down payment for love?"

He thought about pointing out that Taako was just as bad, but decided against it. "You signed up for this."

"I did. No regrets." Taako tugged on the ring, most likely to inspect it off his finger, but it didn't budge. He blew out a breath and held out his hand to Kravitz. "Uh. Might've put it on too tight, babe."

Kravitz huffed out a laugh and kissed his hand. "It's not. It only comes off if you stop loving me. Same for mine."

Taako blinked, bringing his hand in front of his face to examine it. "Wow. Not gonna lie, that's a little fuckin' creepy. How does it _know that?"_

"You can summon tentacles out of the ground at will and you ask me how a magic ring blessed by my goddess can tell if you love me?"

"Point taken." He twisted the ring on his finger, happy to see that it did, in fact, have the ability to twist. Just couldn't remove it. "Wait a minute, won't this cut off the fuckin'--circulation, to my finger? When the weather changes?" Taako held the ring up to his nose and sniffed. "Also, I know I have experience with jewelry that can't be removed, but, I'm really not lookin' forward to the hand stank that I assume comes with this ring."

"Taako, this is magic powered by a goddess, do you really think you'll have to worry about circulation, or...or _hand stank?"_

"I lived with arm stank for a year, I'm not repeating that experience."

_"There is no finger stank!"_ Kravitz knew he shouldn't be so offended by the idea of finger stank, but he got a little caught up in the act.

Taako took one look at Kravitz' serious face and lost it. He laughed so hard he cried, leaning on Kravitz' shoulder for support. His face was all screwed up in that ugly laughter that he only broke out into when he knew nobody was paying attention.

"You're beautiful," Kravitz said, so quietly that he wouldn't fault Taako for not hearing it.

Judging by the baffled, embarrassed look he gave Kravitz in return, though, he must have heard it.

"And cute," he added, because he liked to fluster Taako whenever possible.

Taako pushed his hand into Kravitz' face, forcing him to look away. "You're ridiculous!"

"Again, you signed up for this."

"You bet your ass I did." Taako threw his arms around Kravitz, kissing anywhere he could reach above the neck. Kravitz laughed and surrendered to the affection, letting Taako have free reign. It barely went on for two minutes before Kravitz felt a tugging at the back of his mind, a signal that he needed to visit his goddess. He groaned and pried himself off of Taako, standing up and conjuring his work outfit out of thin air.

"Getting a call?" Taako asked, visibly disappointed.

"Yes, it seems so," he said, not a fan of leaving the company of his fiancé.

Taako reached out for Kravitz' arm. "When can I see you again?" he asked, not desperate, just questioning.

"In a couple weeks, most likely." Kravitz leaned over and gave him a kiss goodbye. "I may be able to call this time, we shouldn't be as busy."

"You better." Taako let go of him and grinned. "Be kind of a shitty fiancé if you didn't."

"Fiancé, right." Kravitz briefly considered blowing off work entirely. But, no, he wouldn't dream of doing that to his goddess. He could just let the soundbyte of Taako saying the word play in his mind a couple times. That would tide him over. "Fuck, that sounds amazing."

"Doesn't it?" Taako waved his hand "Get out of here. Love you."

Kravitz opened up a rift, smiled back at Taako. "I love you, too," he said, and then stepped through it. His eyes kept wandering to his hand as he walked though the Astral Plane, a smile creeping on his face whenever he saw the black and silver band.

And then, as soon as he went to see the Queen, he knew he was going to be teased for it.

* * *

Taako chilled out on the couch once his fiancé left the room. He knew he'd be back. He wasn't worried about being abandoned. In the meantime, he inspected the ring on his finger and found that he couldn't stop smiling. Sure, he wasn't ready for a wedding. He and Kravitz realized that together. But an engagement with no rush on a ceremony? Fuck yeah, that was awesome. Taako kept touching the ring on his finger, sinking into the couch and just  _chilling_ for a few minutes. 

Ten minutes later, Kravitz stepped through another portal into the living room.

"That wasn't very long!" Taako hopped out of his seat and kissed Kravitz with enough force to knock him unbalanced. Kravitz braced his arm on the wall behind him to make sure he didn't fall, and then tipped forward to kiss him back. Taako smiled, walking backwards and dragging Kravitz over to sit down. "Sure, like, welcome home, babe, I'm _definitely_ not complaining. But what gives?"

Kravitz followed him, taking a seat and immediately pulling Taako to his side. "My Queen said that she's ready to release Lup and Barry from training, so...I'm back to my previous work schedule."

Taako grinned. "Wait, so you mean--"

"I don't have another job for a couple days. I think I should go ahead and set up my paperwork here, but other than that..." Kravitz kissed him, ran his hand through Taako's hair, and every point of contact felt _right_ and _comfortable._ "I was told to go celebrate our engagement."

Taako heard sizzling a couple feet to his side, and acted fast. He pushed Kravitz away, and seconds later a fireball whizzed between both their heads. They both stared at the scorch mark fizzing in the wall of their new home, and Taako cursed, knowing he'd have to get that repainted. Kravitz shook his shoulder and pointed to the source of the fireball.  

Lup stood in their living room, followed close behind by Barry. They were still Lup and Barry, except now they sported black hair and red eyes. Both her hands were coated in fire, and she walked towards Taako with a rage he hadn't seen from her in years. Taako let go of Kravitz for his own safety and waved to his sister, hoping she'd take mercy on him.

"You were told to go celebrate your _WHAT?"_ Guess mercy was off the table.

"Oh, shit, Lup--" Taako jumped out of his seat and ran to his sister, excited to see her and afraid of her wrath all at once. "Hey, uh, it's--what're you-- _heeeeey!"_

"Don't _heeeeey_ me!" Lup grabbed him, holding the collar of his shirt so that he couldn't escape. "What the fuck happened to _we're waiting_ and _I won't keep engagement plans a secret from my sister?"_

"Again, I, uh, it just sort of-- _happened?_   Wasn't trying to keep it a secret, promise." Taako looked in Kravitz' direction, hoping he'd offer some kind of help.

Kravitz stood up, not directly confronting Lup, but holding his hands out carefully in front of him. "We're staying engaged for a wh--"

"Shh, nope. Nope. Lup's talking." Lup kept a hold on Taako, but used a free hand to pat Kravitz on the shoulder, her tone turning reassuring _immediately._ "Like, congratulations, welcome to the family, you two completely deserve this and I call dibs on being matron of honor. I love you and I'm glad you've taken this step." She paused, and then put all of her attention back on Taako, murder in her eyes. "But, also, _what the fuck, Taako?"_

"Listen--"

She tightened her grip on him. "You've got _five words_ to explain this."

"Uh--" Taako looked up towards the ceiling, counting the words in his head. "We're not getting married yet?"

Lup held onto him painfully tight. "Pretty bad explanation, that's what _ENGAGED_ means!" She held a fireball right in front of his face. "You can do better than that, I think!"

"No, we're--" Taako coughed, smoke searing from his sister's hand. "Lup, c'mon, I can't explain myself when you've got enough pyrotechnics to run Fantasy Disneyland two inches from my face!"

She scowled and shut the fire out. "Fine."

"I'm--sorry, should we un-propose?" Kravitz asked, taking another step towards the dangerous twin death wrestling zone.

"No," Lup and Taako said at once.

"You're good, bone boy, pop a squat next to your brother-in-law while I sort this shit out." She pointed towards Barry, who hadn't really stopped laughing since Lup laid hands on Taako. "I'm just mad at my very dumb brother, you're safe."

Kravitz hesitated, but walked over and sat next to Barry. He chuckled and whispered a few things into Kravitz' ear, which got him to relax a little.

Taako calmed Lup down enough to explain the entire proposal. Lup bombarded him with questions, and threatened him when he didn't answer quick enough. Yes, they were engaged. No, they weren't thinking about marriage yet. Yes, it was complicated. No, he hadn't planned on hiding it from her. No, he hadn't planned on telling anyone else unless they asked.

"Okay, guess that's not so bad," she said, once she heard enough of the story. "Still kind of fast, but...ehhh, guess that's just your style."

"You got attached to Barold pretty fucking quick after you two stopped pining." Taako stuck out his tongue. "I'm just skipping a few unnecessary years."

"Whatever makes you feel better, you dumbass." Lup called over her shoulder for Kravitz. "Hey, skele-man, get over here for a sec." 

He walked over towards the twins, smiling at Taako. "Ye-- _oof!"_ Kravitz yelped as Lup pulled him down into a hug, grinning the whole way through. Once he caught his balance, he laughed and hugged her back. "What's all this, Lup?"

She laughed. "Just huggin' my _new_ brother, 'cause my old one didn't tell me he was getting engaged." Lup glared in Taako's direction.

He slouched, trying to look cool. Hard to do when he saw his sister and his fiancé hugging it out two feet away from him. "You going to harp on me about that forever?"

"Only until you get married."

"That could be _years_ from now, Lup!"

"Exactly! You fucking deserve it." Lup let Kravitz out of her hug zone, but kept him at arm's length. "Hey, real talk? You're the best guy Taako's dated. I've never seen him so happy." She smiled, giving him a soft punch in the arm. "I wholeheartedly approve of this, just so you know."

"Thank you, Lup. That means a lot." He stepped backwards, towards Taako. "I'm glad to have gotten the family seal of approval."

"Well, you're part of the family, too." She poked him as he walked to join Taako. "Later, you and I are going to have a good, long talk."

"Am I in trouble?" Kravitz asked, a little concerned.

"No, I'm just a huge fucking gossip. And Taako's not the only one that gets to have fun private chats with his in-law." She winked. 

Taako couldn't even complain at that. He was just...happy his sister and his fiancé got along so well. Although, he wouldn't have asked Kravitz to marry him in the first place if Lup didn't like him. But it was nice to see that it came so naturally to them. Kravitz came to his side and Taako leaned into him, thankful for the contact. Lup and Barry watched their every move, both wearing huge grins. Taako was happy with the engagement, but he didn't expect other people would be happy for him, too. It was a nice feeling.

"So, are the rest of you off work for a while, too?" Taako asked, waving away those deeper thoughts.

"Yeah. Mandatory rest." Barry moved over to join the group. "Apparently all the setup work and training has taken a toll on our souls."

"Fuckin' sweet! The, uh, the resting thing, not the exhaustion thing." Taako ran to meet Barry, hooking an arm around him. "You two want to rest, or do something crazy?"

"I'm kind of itching for something fun," Barry said.

"Seems like we've got some time off work and a lot of interdimensional portals." Lup's scythe manifested in her hands, and she had that chaotic glint in her eye. "Anybody want to go stealing shoes again?"

Kravitz huffed and turned his nose to the air. "You know, I'm starting to think stealing shoes isn't enough of a challenge."

Lup looked personally offended by his comment. "What, _shoes_ aren't good enough for the grim reaper now?"

"No, I just think it would be more impressive if you, say, stole someone's shirt."

_"Holy shit,"_  she said, suddenly developing the urge to go and steal a hundred shirts. "Alright, first person who can gamble someone out of their shirt gets--"

"A favor?" Taako asked, bouncing on his heels.

"Not determined by the winner." Damn Barry for protecting himself. Too smart.

"And no Fantasy DDR shenanigans this time," Kravitz added.

Taako brought a hand to his chest in mock offense. "What, you don't want to see me dance, babe?"

"Only if it's in your body, love," he answered, brows raised. 

"I'm in hell, I'm _literally_ in hell," Lup said, covering up her face.

The four argued and jabbed and laughed at each other, glad to be together again. They all riffed and bounced off ideas and jokes together, and it felt like their family was made for four this entire time. Lup cut them a rift and the four all piled in. Taako wasn't sure where she cut a portal to, but he found himself not caring. As long as he had all his people around, he was good with whatever they did together.

They had a lot of people to gamble, a lot of shirts to steal, and a lot of family time to catch up with. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i sort of cut this update to the wire, ha ha, i didn't think it'd take me so LONG to write it! i just wanted to make everything seem right!!! these two move so fast and it's a little crazy but...look me in the eyes and tell me they wouldn't. these two disasters. 
> 
> next chapter is just a shorter epilogue to tie this all in a neat little bow. I'll have A LOT to say in the author's notes next time, but not this time!! i'm JUST tired today!!
> 
> anyway, thanks to everyone for reading and sticking around! i'm so happy with the reception this fic got, and continues to get. thank you all so much!!!!


	29. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> One last one for the road.

Taako _hated_ being pushed around.

Elves weren't immortal. Even if it took a long time for elves to age, they still aged. Eventually. Things still broke down, bones became more brittle, skin wrinkled. Nothing was wrong with his legs, he just got fatigued really quick. It was worse than he thought it'd be when he got older, but all of his cumulative battle, travel, and Wonderland injuries made everything worse. Taako made do with a cane for forty years or so, but the wheelchair was a new development. He knew it was necessary, given his age and his state. Still didn't stop him from complaining. Also didn't stop Ren from smacking him in the back of the head and calling him an old curmudgeon.

Smacking an old man in the back of the head wasn't generally considered socially appropriate, but Ren was definitely in the right. She was usually in the right. They had been business partners for five hundred years, retired together, and moved so they could both be neighbors and bicker at each other for decades. Currently, she tried to get Taako and his wheelchair off the train platform. He wasn't cooperating, and Ren's patience wasn't as endless as he thought it was.

"Just-- _cast_ something, you old fart!"

Taako leaned back in his chair, being as difficult as possible. "Why don't you?"

Ren shook his chair. "I'm saving my spell slots for when we're _actually_ in trouble!"

"Holy shit, you sound like _Jenkins."_ He turned around to glare at Ren, not taking the situation seriously at all. "I thought I taught you better than that!"

"I'm not the one that wasted their spell slots casting levitation a hundred times while packing!" She pushed the chair forward and Taako had to hold on for dear life.

"Watch it! Fragile goods, over here!"

"Will you two quit it?" asked a voice that was both familiar and tired of this bullshit.

Ren turned her face to speak to the voice. "As soon as _this one_ cooperates for two goddamn seconds!"

"Yelling at him won't do you any good, Ren, he's stubborn." A man that _looked_ human (but, of course, Taako knew better) dropped their luggage off and extended a hand out to Taako. "Come on, sir, you can stand up for a few minutes. I'll hold you up."

Until Angus McDonald was thirty, they had just thought he had a young-looking face. When he turned fifty and still didn't have one grey hair, they assumed he had some elf blood far back in his lineage. When he turned sixty-five and still looked twenty, he came clean. Angus McDonald was a fucking _dragon,_ and when he was asked how he hid that for fifty years, he admitted he was too embarrassed to bring it up. He took over Taako's Amazing School of Magic once he and Ren retired, but took an extended vacation to accompany Ren and Taako on their trip.

Taako knew he couldn't win a fight with Angus, and stood up with him. Taako hung on his shoulder, and let Angus lead him past the platform. Ren got the chair off immediately after, and Angus helped him settle back into it.

"Was that so hard, you two?" Angus asked, running over to collect their luggage.

"Yes," Ren and Taako said, together.

Angus pinched the bridge of his nose and took a moment to collect himself. "We should get to the inn."

"The _inn,"_   Taako said, waving his hand around, "what century do they think this is?"

"It sounds _charming."_  Ren pushed Taako through the train station's doors. A steep flight of historic steps laid out in front of them. Sure, three wizards could get Taako and his chair down those stairs, but only at the cost of a shit ton of spellslots.

"Charming enough to completely ignore handicap regulations?" Angus asked, searching around for a ramp. "Oh, it's over there. Whoa, damn, that's _steep."_

"I have half a mind to just let this one _roll down_   the slope," Ren said, but carefully got Taako down to the end of the ramp, safe and sound. Angus followed close behind her, carrying all their luggage. Once they got down the ramp proper, all three of them got a good look at the town.

The small, dusty town of Steinbergstien loomed in front of them. Tall, gothic architecture. It was barely two days into December, and already the whole town was coated in snow. This town apparently didn't know what a color was, everything painted black or brown with silver fixtures. Taako had been here before, once, five hundred years ago. It hadn't changed even a little bit, except for some modern electric devices he saw through the windows.

"Kind of old-looking, isn't it?" Ren looked around, in awe of the whole place. "Vintage."

"Surprised it hasn't changed much in five hundred years," Taako said, as they passed by a street lamp he leaned up next to with Kravitz five hundred years ago.

"I think it's a historic preservationist site. Look, this cobblestone has just been redone, but it's still wobbly." Angus gestured around, showing off different points of interest. "They're preserving the building exteriors. But if we go inside, it may be modernized."

"Ugh, hopefully." Taako crossed his arms. "They better have heating in there, it's _freezing."_

The three found the inn where Angus reserved their rooms. Sure enough, the interior was much more modern than the outside. Electric lighting, contemporary furniture, colors that were more than brown and black. They approached the counter, staffed by a tired-looking human. They asked for Angus and Ren's names to put on their keycards, but had a little trouble with Taako's.

"Your name is Taa...ko?" They squinted at the computer, confused. "Like the food?"

"Holy shit, we've come full circle." Taako put on his best performer's smile and winked, dialing up the charm as high as possible. "No, it's Taako. You know, from T.V.?"

"And also from saving the world?" Angus added.

The clerk just blinked in response, unimpressed. "Oh, _that_ Taako. Huh." The clerk turned their head to the side, curious. "I could have sworn you died."

"I have. Many times." Taako grinned again, but was only met by a blank stare. He took his keycard, grumbling as Angus pushed him towards the rooms. "Geez, is nobody impressed by this anymore? I used to be fuckin' royalty. Now there's only, like, a sixty percent chance someone'll notice me."

"Sixty percent is still a lot, sir."

"Not enough to feed his ego, I'd bet," Ren said.

Taako shook his fist in the air, really playing up the 'crotchety old man' act. "I know I'm old as balls, but I'm not _deaf,_ I can _hear_ you!"

"At least the school's still doing really well." Angus reached their door and parked Taako right outside. "I think you're just famous in the magical community now."

"Eh, good enough." Taako leaned forward, watching Angus as he walked around the chair to get the door. "At least I won't get mobbed. We'll have to work on your brand, Agnes, nobody ever recognizes _you."_

Usually, that would be when Angus argued that he wasn't interested in fame, but he just hummed once in response and slid his keycard into the door. They had had this fight more than a few times before. Angus was smart enough to avoid it.

* * *

The regular grade reapers had an easier time of everything these days. Most of their shit was automatic and second nature after hundreds of years. Dissuade theoretical necromancy students from getting into trouble. Take down liches. Watch the Stockade. But Kravitz, Lup, and Barry worked on the edge cases, and the edge cases were getting more advanced as technology got better. More weird ghost robots. More anti-reaper fields. More necromancers in jeans.

Kravitz, Barry, and Lup stepped into the Raven Queen's hall for a debriefing after their most recent mission. They had spent four months tracking down, capturing, and clearing out a cult that had been a thorn in their side for a hundred years. Nothing too gruesome, but they had been at the game for so long, they knew how to hide from and fight bounty hunters expertly. The Raven Queen quieted down during her debriefing, as she always did when she was listening to their thoughts. Kravitz didn't bother to keep his filtered--yes, he was tired. Anyone who looked at him would know that.

"I suppose now would be the best time to let you know that you're due for a break. I told the Resource Department to actually inform you this time, but..." She tilted her head to the side. "From the looks on your faces, I can tell they didn't."

"Oh, sweet!" Lup dropped all attempts to act official in front of the Raven Queen, relaxing her posture and gesturing her hands around in the air. "Who goes first? Is it like a seniority thing, or do we have to fight in a cage to determine a winner? Because I don't have _any_ reservations against kicking my brother-in-law's ass in a cage match." She pointed her thumb towards Kravitz and winked.

"I'm not going to fight you in a _cage,"_   Kravitz said, with a mixture of fondness and exhaustion that could only form after spending five hundred years working beside Lup and Barry.

Barry huff-laughed and pushed up his glasses. "Are you just saying that because you know you would lose?"

"There won't be any cage fighting necessary," said the Raven Queen, determined to stop the squabbling before it could get any worse. Left unattended, those three could riff of each other for hours. She handed them three copies of the vacation memo Kravitz had accidentally given to Taako five hundred years ago. "You can all go on vacation at once. All you have to do is find two other living beings to swap with."

"Wh--really?" Barry looked around, searching for hidden cameras like this was some kind of prank show. "Uh, no offense, but we're the only three doing the weird cases? What happens when we all go on break at once?"

"You _did_ just settle one of the most elaborate cases we've had in a century. Anything else comes in, and I can push that onto another bounty hunter. We need more hands doing your jobs anyway, things have started to get a little crazy. This is an excellent time for me to see who to promote."  She shook the whole room with her laughter, ominous and inhuman. "And you are all family. It wouldn't be any fun if you had to separate your vacations."

"It wouldn't," Lup said, before Kravitz could even begin to form an answer. "Thanks, though!"

"Go, then." She didn't have a mouth, really, but they could all hear the smile in her voice. "Before I change my mind."

Lup cut a rift immediately and jumped through, followed by Barry. Kravitz hesitated at her portal, reluctant to step through. Lately, seeing Taako was a bit of a punch to the gut. He couldn't walk on his own without tiring out, and he had at least three different medications he had to keep up with--every time Kravitz visited, it seemed to get worse. It wasn't like he knew the exact date Taako would die, but given his job, he had a rough idea when it'd go down. Sure, he was happy to have another living vacation with him before he passed, but he had a sinking feeling that Taako wouldn't have much time after the six months were up. The Queen must have listened to his thoughts, stood behind him and offered a reassuring (but also taloned) hand on his shoulder.

"I have already promised you and Lup that he will be safe here. I know that if I didn't offer the same job to him, I would lose three of my employees at once."

"I don't know if you would have _lost_ me--"

"Perhaps you wouldn't retire, but I still would have lost your trust." Her voice wasn't very fit for soothing, but Kravitz was comforted by it all the same. "That goes both ways between a goddess and her emissary."

"Thank you, my Queen." He turned and smiled at her. She returned with a rough approximation of a smile. She made do, without a real mouth to smile with.

"Although, Istus has told me she has first dibs on him." She walked backwards, away from Kravitz. "He may choose to take her offer. You would still be able to see him often."

"That's quite a relief." Kravitz approached the portal again, confident. "I'm going to go see him now."

The Raven Queen only nodded in response, and returned to her throne. Kravitz stepped through the portal, but noticed her pull out a Fantasy Etch-a-Sketch® out of the corner of his eye, when she thought he was gone. He laughed to himself. Some things never change.

Once he stepped through, Kravitz landed in a warm looking hotel. Taako was out of his wheelchair and perched on the edge of his bed, Lup holding him tight as they bickered. Barry was already off, switching his memo into Angus' pocket so they could swap states. Ren watched the twins from her seat and waved to Kravitz once she noticed him.

"There he is!" Taako released Lup from his grip and held out his arms, inviting Kravitz in. "Come over here, I'm dyin' to get this show on the road."

"You certainly are." Kravitz sat down next to Taako and hugged him. Their reunions had gone softer and mellower over the years, even if Kravitz was away on jobs that took months. It didn't mean that neither of them missed each other, but they were both comfortable with the distance after so many years. Kravitz moved out of Taako's grasp and kissed him once on the cheek, very safe since the room was full of family. "Why are you in a hotel in my hometown? Did you plan this?"

"Yeah, ol' RQ gave me a heads-up, in case I wanted to do something special." Taako waved his arm, showing off the hotel room. "And I _did."_

"It will be nice to stay here longer, now that we don't have to rush back for that bit of casual necromancy you all did in front of me." Kravitz held out his paper to Taako, but saw Lup and paused. "We swapped last time, would you rather try it with Lup this time?"

"Nah, we can go together again." Taako snatched the memo out of his hands and shoved it in his own pocket. "For old time's sake."

Lup poked him hard in the shoulder. "I'm not good enough to swap with, now?" 

"It's practically tradition at this point," he said, shoving Lup away. "Go swap with Ren."

"Fine." She stuck her nose in the air and handed her memo off to Ren. "I can tell when I've been _replaced."_ Lup draped her forearm across her forehead. "You've won, Kravitz. Stolen my brother right out from under me."

"It was my plan all along," Kravitz said, covering his smile with his hand.

Lup heaved out a manufactured sigh. "I always knew Taako would betray me."

"Don't give me that! When you go on month-long missions, at least _you_ have Barold!" Taako leaned on Kravitz' side, undoing the tie in his hair and letting the braids settle down on his shoulders. "I have to wait on my husband like he's some kind of sexy ship captain out to sea."

Her act dropped immediately in favor of being disgusted. "Eugh, stop, I don't want to hear about your weird roleplaying fantasies while I'm on vacation."

"I didn't even get to say my joke about the seamen," he said, grinning.

Kravitz shimmied away from Taako and frowned. "Taako, dear, you are the love of my life, but _please,_ you need to shut the hell up."

Taako made a little zipper motion over his mouth, laughed, and then winked.

Kravitz couldn't help but smile, knowing he'd be this happy for an eternity.

* * *

The six of them decided to stay in the hotel while Kravitz, Lup, and Barry shifted to living forms again. Angus and Barry went out to go pick up food together to bring back. No way was Taako going to die in the middle of a restaurant, as hilarious as that concept may seem. It would put someone out of business, probably, once word got around that their food murdered Taako from T.V. The transition from living to dead didn't throw Kravitz off as much this time around. He knew it was coming, and he had also been married to a living man for five hundred years. He had a bit of trouble adjusting to breathe, but was otherwise fine. Ren let out a shriek when she realized her heart stopped beating, but Taako whooped and threw his fists in the air.

"Oh _hell yeah!"_ Taako braced himself and pried his body off the bed, trying to stand up. "No more old fart fatigue!"

As soon as Kravitz realized what he was doing, he leapt to help steady Taako. "Love, don't stand up too fast--"

"Too late!" Taako stood up to his full wizarding height and stretched his arms out. "I've been trying to stretch my legs for fuckin' ages! Taking full advantage of this."

Kravitz didn't try to argue with him, just smiled up at Taako softly. "I'm glad you're feeling well, then."

"Can you still stand?"

"I believe so?" Kravitz heaved himself out of his seat. It took a little bit more work than he was used to, but he was able to get out of it. "Yes, although my joints are a bit sore."

"Should have made yourself look young before doing this." Taako grinned and allowed Kravitz to lean on him. "That way you'd be nice and spry."

"But then we wouldn't match," Kravitz said, frowning. "I like making myself look your age."

Lup groaned. "Wow, you two are _so_ gross."

Taako punched her in the arm, even if it did zero damage. "We weren't even doing anything!"

"You sneak away with Barry at work at least once a month." Kravitz nodded once at Lup, official and prim. "Consider this revenge."

"Hell yeah, weaponize that shit!" Taako reached for Kravitz' tie and tugged it so they were eye level. "C'mere," he said, and then pulled Kravitz down for a kiss.

Lup gagged, but then smiled.

The night was largely uneventful. Just relaxing inside with the family. But they stayed for a long time--it was one in the morning before either of their humans started drifting off.

"Barry's falling asleep, I'm taking him to our room." Lup held out her hand, first to Taako, then to Angus, then to Ren--she didn't know who had the keycards. "Key?"

"Here," Ren said, handing it off. "I'll go in mine, too. Don't have to sleep, but might do some reading. You comin', Angus?"

"No, I think I'm going out to explore the town." Angus picked up his coat and slipped it on, even though he didn't need the warmth. "No businesses will be open, but it should be a nice walk."

"Yeah, everyone out of my room, I've got some catching up to do with my man." Taako, now spry and able to move on his own for the first time in years, delighted in moving around and pushing people out of his room. Nobody stopped him, but Lup did give him a few exaggerated eye rolls, repeating the motion to make sure he saw it. Taako elected to ignore that, and that bothered her more than any gross quip he could come back with.

As soon as the door closed, Taako felt two warm arms wrap around him from behind.

"Hey," he said, pressing the back of his head into Kravitz' shoulder.

"Hey," Kravitz answered, his voice a little ragged around the edges. Tired out.

Taako walked backwards, slowly, so Kravitz would know to follow suit. "Your heart's beating."

"Yours isn't." He caught on and let Taako out of the hold, instead opting to walk to the bed together. Kravitz rubbed at one eye, now that exhaustion actually had an effect on him. "Brings back memories, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Taako kicked off his shoes. He crouched down to pick up his suitcase, pulled out some corporeal sleep clothes from it for Kravitz, now that he couldn't conjure his own clothing. "Except, y'know, we'll have _better_ ones this time."

"I don't know if you can rank them." Kravitz kissed his cheek and took the pajamas, his thumb running over the soft fabric. "I enjoyed how close we got that first time."

"I 'unno, I like--" Taako vaguely gestured between him and Kravitz. _"This,_ y'know?"

"This, as in...?"

"As in, _this!"_ He repeated the gesture, and then frowned when Kravitz furrowed his brows in confusion. "Us! The two of us, right here. I like--" Taako had five hundred years of being emotionally honest with Kravitz, but saying what he felt out loud could be a bit embarrassing sometimes. Especially when he was sentimental. "Fuck it, I've loved being able to--to do this with you. I love being married to you, and gettin' old and crusty together even though _I know_ it wasn't necessary for you to do it too, and I love--I love you."

"I love you, too. Thank you for sharing your life with me. I was glad to be there for it."

"And the afterlife, babe, don't act like this stops just because my soul's gonna move to the Astral Plane."

Kravitz chuckled and started changing his clothes. "I didn't want to presume."

"Presu--we're _married!"_ He pulled out all his piercings and jewelry for sleep (not the wedding ring, that was still unable to be removed), rambling out loud. "An--and not only that, we're married _under the watch of your goddess,_ and you pulled this ring out of fuckin--thin air, using goddess juice! I'm not going to _leave_ you, that's--fuck, that's--I couldn't even _imagine--"_   Taako practically threw off his shirt, grumbling under his breath. _"Didn't want to presume,_ what the fuck are you even talking about?"

"That was a test to get you to declare our love again." Kravitz took Taako's hand and kissed the ring. "I'm fully aware of how sappy you are. It's nice to hear it out loud sometimes."

"Oh, you want me to be sappy?"

"I enjoy it whenever you are."

Taako grinned, and then immediately launched an attack of affection onto Kravitz. Now that he was dead, he had enough energy to do whatever the fuck he wanted. He kissed him a dozen times, all on a different place on his face, and didn't take his hands off of Kravitz the entire time he was changing. Not sexually; just an innocent little game Taako liked to play when he wanted to launch sap onto Kravitz without using words. Even after so many years, some of the words couldn't come to him. Kravitz didn't mind. He knew it anyway.

Once Kravitz got into his pajamas, he joined Taako in the attack, until they were both laughing and wheezing on the bed. Time passed, and their laughter fizzled out, followed by silence and a tight hug.

"Things may change a little when you cross over," Kravitz said, staring at the ceiling.

"It'll be fine. You'll be there, I'll have a badass job...I'll look the same age as my sister again, that'll be baller."

"I'll have to change my appearance again." Kravitz touched his own cheek.

Taako reached up and held both sides of Kravitz' face in his hands, grinning and kissing his nose. "Oh, _boo!_ I was starting to like this cute old man look."

"Starting to?" Kravitz laughed, held Taako closer to him, melting under all the affection. "I've looked like this for at least fifty years now."

"Alright, fine, I'm always a fan of how you look." Taako nudged his nose into the crook of Kravitz' neck and blew a raspberry where his neck met his shoulder. "I have good taste."

He chuckled, ticklish from the attention on his neck. "You showed up to our first date in shitty wizard's robes."

"You said it was cute."

"Because I think it _is_ cute when you dress like you've fallen out of a clown's closet."

"And I think it's cute when you dress like you've robbed a combination Men's Warehouse and Hot Topic in the dark." He chuckled against Kravitz' skin, too proud at his own joke. Kravitz joined in, soft and tired. Taako could tell he was about to drift off. "Hey, real quick..."

Kravitz opened his eyes and looked down at Taako. "Yes?"

Taako held Kravitz' hand in his and fiddled with his ring. "I love you."

"I love you, too," he said, and fell asleep with his hands holding Taako's. 

"Forever," Taako said, even if Kravitz was too unconscious to hear it. Taako didn't worry about it. He knew Kravitz felt the same way, and didn't need the confirmation. He was pretty confident in his own feelings these days. That's what he got after five hundred years of practice.

Things were good.

They would be good for a long time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> that's it! i've done it! this fic was a lot longer than I had originally planned for it to be!!!!!!!
> 
> I just gotta say, thanks to EVERYONE who read and commented and left kudos, but double thank you to those who left comments after every update! you know who you are. i appreciate all of you. even if you all messed up your sleep schedules reading this fic. I had THE BEST time writing this fic. when I started, I was unemployed and barely out of college and very sad about it, but now I've got a good 9-5 job in my field and a new apartment and a LOT of joy!! the joy comes from this fic and the taz community, though. 
> 
> so, WHAT'S NEXT???? for now, I'm going to shift my focus a little bit on finishing my other two big multichapter fics--magnus hugs his way to the top of fantasy nasa is priority #1, considering there's only one chapter left. but. once I get those two finished, I've got a big taakitz au in the works (which avislightwing has ALREADY made a playlist about that you can listen to on her tumblr, birdiethebibliophile! (tried to link it here, but ao3 was didn't like the link :/ ) she hasn't even read the darn thing but I keep hyping her up and i have no regrets) but also the au might not come out for a little bit, partially because.....uh....the chapters are real long. chapter 1 is inching towards 10k as we speak. forgive me.
> 
> i'm fantasysamsclub on tumblr, if anyone wants to come ask about this fic, any future fics, or just for general having-fun purposes! 
> 
> again, I can't thank all of you enough! thanks for sticking around to read this entire thing. it was........a lot of sap!
> 
> see you later, everyone!


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